White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, one of President Trump’s longest serving political advisors, announced her resignation on Sunday – effective at the end of August – amid public feuding between her politically divergent family members.
KEY FACTS
Conway, who also served as Trump’s campaign manager in 2016, released a statement announcing that she will be “transitioning from the White House at the end of this month.”
Conway maintained her support for the president, stating that she is “deeply grateful” for the opportunity to serve and that she believes his leadership has had a “measurable, positive impact on the peace and prosperity of the nation.”
Conway’s husband George Conway also announced that he would step down from leading role at the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump PAC, and take a “Twitter hiatus,” adding that he continues to “passionately” support the Lincoln Project’s mission.
The announcements come after their 15-year-old daughter Claudia, a vocal leftist and Black Lives Matter supporter who has publicly disparaged both her parents on social media in recent months, tweeted that she was “pushing for emancipation” from her parents.
“We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids,” Kellyanne Conway said in her statement, noting that remote learning for her four teenage children “requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times.
Key Background
Conway joined the Trump campaign in August 2016 as he was struggling in the polls and is seen as a driving force in his victory. She is the first woman to head up a successful presidential campaign, and for that feat she was rewarded a post as a White House counselor. Though her power and influence ebbed and flowed, particularly in the early days of the administration, Conway is seen as having the president’s ear as one of his longest serving aides.
Crucial Quote
Conway received effusive praise from her Republican allies on Twitter following her announcement. “There would be no President Trump without Kellyanne,” tweeted Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich. “She is a political pioneer and her keen guidance will surely be missed.”
Chief Critic
But naturally, opponents of the administration were not as keen to celebrate her on her way out. Walter Shaub, a former director of the Office of Government Ethics, took aim at a report by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel that claimed Conway “repeatedly” the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from performing campaign-related tasks in government buildings. “Tonight is a good night. Kellyanne Conway finally decided to make the White House a little more ethical,” Shaub tweeted.
Crucial Quote
“In time, I will announce future plans,” Conway concluded her statement. “For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama.”
This article originally appeared on Forbes.
