President Donald Trump attempted Wednesday to distance himself from two political consultants who were recently exposed by The New York Times for their ties to a Russian-aligned government.
Citing four sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity, the Times reported Tuesday that James Blair and Chris LaCivita, whom the outlet described as two of Trump’s “top political advisers,” were in the Balkans over the “past few days” helping a “Russian-aligned government.”
The two were in Republika Srpska — a partially self-governing political entity in Bosnia — just ahead of its elections, and were paid “hundreds of thousands of dollars each” to provide “election advice.” The revelation, the Times noted, was just the “latest example of Trump advisers profiting from far-right politicians abroad who have sought favor from the U.S. president while bucking the international community.”
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump disputed the Times’ characterization of his relationship with Blair and LaCivita, and vowed to “terminate” them should he feel their services constituted a conflict of interest.
“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! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
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