5 minPolitics
Trump Threatens to Fire Advisers Over Paid Work for Pro-Russia Bosnian Party
President Donald Trump said he would terminate political consultants Chris LaCivita and James Blair if their paid work advising a Russian-aligned party in Bosnia creates a conflict of interest, after a New York Times report revealed the arrangement.
President Donald Trump said he would fire two political consultants if their recently disclosed work for a Russian-aligned party in Bosnia creates a conflict of interest, after a report revealed the pair were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each to advise the party ahead of elections in the Balkan country.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump described Chris LaCivita and James Blair as outside consultants who do not work for him beyond that role. He said they are permitted to take other clients, as consultants in Washington routinely do, and that he would ask them about their other work and act if a conflict emerged.
«Chris LaCivita and James Blair are outside consultants. They do not work for me, other than as outside consultants. They most likely have numerous clients, but for that, you would have to ask them,» Trump wrote. «They are allowed to do work for others, just like all consultants in Washington, D.C. I do not have any idea who else they work for but will, on reflection, ask them and, if there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately!»
The statement followed a New York Times report, citing four people familiar with the matter, that LaCivita and Blair had spent recent days in the Balkans helping a Russian-aligned government. The two were in Republika Srpska, a partially self-governing entity within Bosnia, shortly before its elections, and were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each to provide election advice, according to the report.
The Times described the arrangement as the latest example of Trump advisers profiting from far-right politicians abroad who have sought favor from the U.S. president while resisting the international community. The report characterized Blair and LaCivita as two of Trump’s top political advisers, a description the president disputed in his post.
Trump’s public distancing from the two men came as Republicans prepare for midterm elections, adding a layer of political sensitivity to the disclosure. The president’s message sought to draw a line between his own operation and the outside consulting work, while leaving open the possibility that he could end the relationship if he determines the foreign client work conflicts with his interests.
LaCivita and Blair have been prominent figures in Republican consulting circles, and their overseas work has drawn scrutiny because of the client’s alignment with Russia. Republika Srpska’s leadership has maintained close ties with Moscow, and the election advice described in the report places the consultants in a political environment where U.S. and Russian interests often diverge.
The episode also highlights the broader pattern of American political operatives taking lucrative contracts from foreign parties and governments, a practice that can raise questions about influence and loyalty even when it does not violate U.S. law. Trump’s response focused on the question of conflict rather than the substance of the work, saying he would ask the consultants directly about their clients.
Neither LaCivita nor Blair has publicly responded to the report or to Trump’s statement. The White House did not immediately comment beyond the president’s post. The Times reported that the two were in the Balkans in the days before the elections, providing advice to a party that has sought to strengthen ties with Russia while challenging international oversight of Bosnia’s political arrangements.
For Trump, the disclosure creates a test of how he manages advisers whose private business dealings intersect with his political operation. His post stopped short of announcing a termination, instead setting a condition: if he finds a conflict, he said, he will act immediately. That leaves the relationship unresolved while the midterm campaign moves forward.
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