‘Remarkable’: Trump Stuns Media World By Taking NYT Corruption Allegations Against Top Advisors Seriously
President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump stunned members of the media on Wednesday by promising to “terminate” two of his top advisors following a New York Times report detailing their consulting work for a regional, pro-Russia government in the Balkans.
The Times reported that Chris LaCivita, who served as a senior advisor on Trump’s 2024 campaign, and GOP political consultant James Blair traveled to the Republika Srpska region of Bosnia and Herzegovina and received a hefty payout for their services. The Times wrote:
Mr. Blair and Mr. LaCivita were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each through a Washington-based law firm that was retained by Republika Srpska’s government to provide counsel on voting issues, according to two of the people familiar with the engagement. They said the work was for the government and not the nationalist party that controls it, though they are essentially one and the same.
Trump reacted to the story on Truth Social, writing, “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. 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. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The post from Trump raised eyebrows given both his tacit acknowledgement that his advisors may have done something wrong and the fact he did not attack The New York Times.
CNN White House reporter Betsy Klein shared Trump statement and added, “a remarkable thing to say about, ostensibly, his two closest outside political advisers 27 days before midterms.”
NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer added, “Trump says they are ‘outside consultants.’ He says he will ask who else they work for and ‘if there’s a conflict’ he will terminate them immediately. Notably he does not call the report ‘fake news.’”
Below are some more reactions:
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