Melania Trump shrugged off those who have criticized her “Be Best” initiative at a conference Thursday on building a culture of responsibility online, saying it’s a motivator in continuing her efforts to combat cyberbullying.

“As I have said before, it is not news or surprising to me that critics and the media have chosen to ridicule me for speaking out on this issue, and that’s OK. I remain committed to tackling this topic because it will provide a better world for our children,” she said in remarks at the Family Online Safety Institute’s annual conference, held in Washington, D.C.

“And I hope that like I do, you will consider using their negative words as motivation to do all you can to bring awareness and understanding about responsible online behavior,” she continued.

Trump’s comments Thursday echoed her acknowledgment in March when she told leaders of technology companies that she’s aware of questions about whether Donald Trump’s own behavior on social media has contradicted her initiative.

Trump’s appearance at the conference capped off a week of the first lady asserting her independence in a chaotic White House.

In an extraordinary statement from her office on Wednesday, she publicly called for the firing of deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel, saying the top aide to national security adviser John Bolton “no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House.”

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that Ricardel had been removed from her White House position.

NBC News reported the first lady had also clashed with her husband’s chief of staff John Kelly, though Trump’s office denied the two had issues.

And, after her predecessor Michelle Obama said the first lady had not turned to her for advice, Trump’s spokeswoman said she’s “a a strong and independent woman who has been navigating her role as first lady in her own way.”

WATCH:

"It is not news or surprising to me that critics in the media have chosen to ridicule me for speaking out on this issue, and that's okay," first lady Melania Trump says while speaking about "responsible online behavior" and her "Be Best" campaign. https://t.co/20NWyrahhT pic.twitter.com/yBxk9xl0v3

— ABC News (@ABC) November 15, 2018