Two senior advisers to former President Donald Trump recently traveled to Republika Srpska, a semi-autonomous entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, to assist its pro-Russian government ahead of regional elections held on Sunday. James Blair and Chris LaCivita, who occupy prominent roles within Trump’s 2024 political operation, were reportedly engaged in advising on voting issues for Republika Srpska’s government, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Republika Srpska is dominated by a nationalist party aligned closely with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has sought to cultivate favorable ties with Trump and his supporters. The advisers were compensated through a Washington-based law firm retained by the Republika Srpska government, with payments reportedly reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Officials familiar with the arrangement emphasized that their work was on behalf of the government entity rather than explicitly the ruling party, though in practice the two are closely intertwined.
The involvement of Blair and LaCivita in Republika Srpska came at a sensitive moment, as they remained active in leading a major midterm election advertising campaign supporting Republican candidates across the United States. A spokesperson for MAGA Inc., the super PAC aligned with Trump for which both men serve as senior advisers, confirmed that Blair and LaCivita continued to participate in campaign activities remotely during their Balkan trip.
President Trump distanced himself from the advisers’ overseas work, stating on social media that Blair and LaCivita were “outside consultants” and that he was unaware of their other clients. He noted he would investigate potential conflicts of interest and would terminate their contracts if necessary.
The nationalist party in Republika Srpska won decisively in the Sunday elections, maintaining its control of the Serb-majority region. Party leader Milorad Dodik, a longtime dominant figure in Srpska politics and former president of the entity, publicly credited Vladimir Putin for his support and praised Trump’s anticipated 2024 election victory as fostering a favorable environment. Dodik’s government opposes integration with the European Union and has resisted reforms tied to the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which established Bosnia and Herzegovina’s current political structure.
Dodik himself was previously sanctioned by the U.S. government for actions perceived as undermining the Dayton Accords’ peace framework. These sanctions, initially imposed late in the Obama administration and maintained throughout the Trump and Biden administrations, were lifted by the Trump administration in late 2025, a move seen as strengthening Dodik’s political standing domestically and internationally.
Analysts note that the support from Trump-affiliated advisers and the lifting of sanctions have bolstered Dodik’s legitimacy among his voter base and insulated him from critics. Lobbyists and operatives connected to Trump and Republican circles have received over $4 million from Republika Srpska since early 2025, highlighting a broader influence effort in the region.
The Republika Srpska government did not respond to inquiries regarding its engagement with the former Trump advisers or the payments made. Meanwhile, the involvement of U.S. political consultants in foreign campaigns underscores a continuing trend of American operatives navigating complex international political landscapes while maintaining ties to domestic electoral efforts.