Kellyanne Conway will leave the White House at the end of the month to focus on her children.
On Sunday, Kellyanne Conway announced her resignation from the White House in a public statement. Conway expressed her ongoing respect and thanks to President Trump, writing “I am deeply grateful to the President for this honor” adding “President Trump’s leadership has had a measurable, positive impact on the peace and prosperity of the nation, and on millions of Americans who feel forgotten no more.” Conway cited now public family concerns as her reason for withdrawing from the public eye.
“[George and I] disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids. Our four children are teens and ‘tweens starting a new academic year, in middle school and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months. As millions of parents nationwide know, kids “doing school from home” requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times,” Conway wrote. She plans to be “less drama, more mama” for her children going forward.
Conway’s daughter Claudia Conway has been vocal on twitter about said “drama,” claiming she is pushing for emancipation due to “years of childhood trauma and abuse,” not her “mom’s job.”
Adding evidence that the decision was apolitical, Conway’s husband George Conway resigned from The Lincoln Project that same day, similarly citing family concerns. He tweeted Sunday night, “so I’m withdrawing from @ProjectLincoln to devote more time to family matters. And I’ll be taking a Twitter hiatus. Needless to say, I continue to support the Lincoln Project and its mission. Passionately.” The Lincoln Project is a conservative advocacy group whose mission is to “defeat President Trump and Trumpism.”
Conway’s legacy
Conway currently serves as the White House adviser to President Trump. She is one of the most senior members of the Trump administration, serving as Trump’s campaign manager in 2016. In this position, Conway was the first woman to run a successful presidential campaign. Trump said Conway “played a crucial role in my victory.”
Conway famously supported Senator Ted Cruz for the Republican nomination until she was hired by the Trump campaign. Before 2016, Conway worked as a Republican pollster and operative. She coined the term “alternative facts” to defend Sean Spicer, Trump’s first Press Secretary, who claimed Trump’s inauguration crowd was “the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period.”
Notably, Conway also promoted Ivanka Trump’s clothing line at Nordstrom rack. The ethics advisory board reportedly called Conway’s actions a violation of ethics rules. This was not her only ethics violation. In June 2019, the Office of Special Counsel called for Conway to be removed from office for criticizing Doug Jones and other Trump critics while in office.
Beyond stretching the bounds of her role and drawing media attention, Conway worked to reinstate Trump’s coronavirus briefings. After sparring with members of the press, Trump refused to hold further briefings. Conway then told reporters “I just think the people want to hear from the president of the United States.” Soon after, Trump resumed his briefings.
It is unclear who will be named as Kellyanne Conway’s replacement. Regardless, her influence shaped the current administration beyond erasure.