Trump Moves To Distance Himself From Political Advisers’ Foreign Consulting

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would cut ties with a pair of longtime political advisers if he determined their outside consulting work posed a conflict of interest, a day after a report detailed Chris LaCivita and James Blair’s paid advisory for a Russia-aligned government in the Balkans.

“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!” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social.

The warning followed a New York Times report that the two political advisers traveled to Republika Srpska, a self-governing territory within Bosnia and Herzegovina, to provide election advice while helping lead Trump’s midterm political operation. Each was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars through a Washington law firm retained by the territory’s government, the Times reported.

The pair's consulting drew some criticism from Republicans, including their rivals in MAGA circles. "[California Gov. Gavin] Newsom just said ‘the Democrats need to focus on ending Trump’s presidency in 28 days’ while these two grifters are out of the country — and we wonder why the MAGA base may have an enthusiasm gap," Steve Bannon told POLITICO Playbook. "We need a forensic audit of where the money went so the president has the information to hold people accountable.”

Trump on Wednesday emphasized that LaCivita and Blair work for him as outside consultants and are “allowed to do work for others, just like all consultants in Washington, D.C.” His post did not identify a specific conflict or mention the Balkans trip.

Republika Srpska has long maintained close political, cultural and economic ties with Moscow, led by figures such as pro-Russian politician and Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Dodik and the prime minister of Republika Srpska, Savo Minić, in Moscow last month.

Asked about the report Wednesday, Trump told reporters the two advisers “are not sitting around a cabinet table or anything like that. They are consultants and I'm sure they have other clients.” He added that he would ask them for their client lists.

The White House pointed to Trump’s social media post when asked for comment. LaCivita, Blair and a representative for MAGA Inc. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Blair, who until May was White House deputy chief of staff and Trump’s 2024 campaign political director, runs the Trump-backed super PAC MAGA Inc. LaCivita, who co-managed Trump’s 2024 campaign, is a senior adviser to the PAC. LaCivita is no stranger to advising foreign campaigns, having consulted for Sali Berisha, a member of the conservative Democratic Party of Albania, in 2025.

Gregory Svirnovskiy contributed to this report.