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Kellyanne Conway Says 'I Make My Own Choices' After Announcing Surprise White House Exit

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Kellyanne Conway

Kellyanne Conway, long used to defending the president's headline-grabbing ways, made news herself on Sunday night with the announcement that she will be leaving the Trump administration next week.

On Monday morning, at an event outside the White House, Conway briefly addressed her surprise exit.

"How am I doing? I’m good," she told a reporter, according to the pool report. "I make my own choices."

Conway, who was in attendance at a children's art exhibit in support of Melania Trump's "Be Best" initiative, went on to praise the first lady's upcoming speech at the Republican National Convention, calling it "amazing" and a "highlight."

She also confirmed she will still be speaking on Wednesday at the RNC.

Conway was Trump's final campaign manager in the 2016 presidential election (the first woman to run a winning presidential campaign) before becoming his counselor since 2017. Her public loyalty toward the Trumps sometimes stirred controversy, as when she spun his falsehoods as "alternative facts" and gave a "free commercial" for Ivanka Trump's products.

In her statement on Sunday, Conway, 53, said her decision to leave the White House was about the four children she shares with attorney husband George Conway, a noted critic of President Donald Trump.

"We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids," Kellyanne said. "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."

Matt Rourke/AP/REX/Shutterstock From left: Kellyanne Conway and George Conway in January 2017

Kellyanne said she would share her next steps "in time" and that "this is completely my choice and my voice."

George, 56, separately said on Sunday he will be "withdrawing" from The Lincoln Project, a conservative political group targeting Trump, "to devote more time to family matters."

RELATED: What Kellyanne Conway's Husband Has Said About Trump — and How She Feels

The couple's 15-year-old daughter Claudia developed a viral following on TikTok by staunchly criticizing Trump and her mother's support of him. Claudia’s dad later called for her privacy from the spotlight, citing her age. Claudia has continued to post publicly about turmoil at home, including in a tweet on Saturday about seeking "emancipation."

Kellyanne's statement on Sunday did not reference Claudia by name, though she ended by saying: "For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama."