Trump threatens to fire Bler and LaSivita over conflict of interest

Dismissal threat ahead of midterm elections

Donald Trump stated his intention to remove two of his closest political advisers if a conflict of interest is proven in their activities. The decision could come less than a month before the US midterm elections, scheduled for 3 November.

The discussion concerns James Bler and Chris LaSivita. Both consultants have a close connection with the president, but, according to Trump, they formally work as external experts and have other clients.

Reaction to The New York Times publication

The White House chief's initiative came against the backdrop of a The New York Times article dated 6 October. Journalists reported that last week Bler and LaSivita were in the Balkans, specifically in Republika Srpska — an autonomous entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The advisers were working in Republika Srpska on the eve of local elections held on 4 October. According to the newspaper, they received "hundreds of thousands of dollars each" through a Washington law firm hired by the Republika Srpska government for election consultations.

Bler, who heads Super PAC MAGA Inc, and LaSivita, who managed Trump's 2024 election campaign, claim that their work was directed exclusively at government structures, not the ruling party. However, The New York Times notes that in practice this meant acting in the interests of that same political force.

US President's position

Commenting on the situation on Truth Social, Trump emphasised that his advisers, like other consultants in Washington, are allowed to work with other clients.

«Я не маю жодного уявлення, для кого ще вони працюють, але […] якщо буде виявлено конфлікт інтересів, я негайно їх звільню» (I have no idea who else they are working for, but […] if a conflict of interest is found, I will fire them immediately), the US President wrote.

It is worth noting that in the elections in Republika Srpska, candidates linked to pro-Russian former President Milorad Dodik won. Savo Minic, who ran from the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats party and has Dodik's support, became the new president.