Trump distances himself from advisers reported to have worked for Republika Srpska government

Donald Trump has distanced himself from two senior political advisers after reports that they worked for the government of Republika Srpska, an autonomous entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a post on Truth Social, the US president said Chris LaCivita and James Blair were "outside consultants" and said he did not know who else they worked for. He added that he would ask whether there was a conflict and would terminate them immediately if there was one.

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The comments followed reporting that the pair travelled to Republika Srpska over the weekend to assist the government ahead of elections. According to the report, each adviser was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. LaCivita is the co-manager of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, while Blair is a campaign adviser and White House deputy chief of staff on leave of absence.

Trump said they do not work for him other than as outside consultants and are free to take work from others, as consultants in Washington often do. The episode has drawn attention because both men remain closely linked to Trump-aligned political operations. LaCivita joined Trump's 2024 campaign in 2022 after leading a pro-Trump political action committee, while Blair worked on Trump's 2020 campaign in Florida and later served as political director of the 2024 campaign.

Blair was also announced in April as leaving his White House role briefly to help Maga Inc, the Trump-backed super PAC supporting Republican candidates in the midterm elections. The reported work in Republika Srpska therefore raises questions about outside consulting, political loyalty and possible conflicts of interest. Republika Srpska is one of the two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its government has been described in the reporting as pro-Russia.

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That detail adds a foreign influence dimension to the controversy, particularly given the advisers' proximity to Trump and to Republican campaign activity in the United States. The timing is also sensitive because the advisers are said to be involved in efforts to support Republican candidates in the coming midterm elections. The case also highlights the overlapping roles often played by senior political operatives in US campaigns, outside consulting and government-adjacent work.

Trump has previously praised both men publicly, including calling LaCivita "the best" and describing Blair as one of the brightest political minds. Their reported work in the Balkans now places those relationships under scrutiny, especially as questions grow over whether such outside engagements could create conflicts with their Trump-linked responsibilities. It remains unclear whether Trump will take any action against either adviser, and no response from LaCivita or Blair was included in the supplied material.

It is also not clear what specific work they carried out for the Republika Srpska government or whether any formal conflict review has begun. What happens next will depend on whether Trump follows through on his warning and whether further details emerge about the scope of the reported consulting work.

#DonaldTrump #ChrisLaCivita #JamesBlair #RepublikaSrpska #BosniaandHerzegovina

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