Fury at Trump’s midterms masterminds for cashing in on ‘random a**’ Putin ally’s election as Republicans brace for election bloodbath
Two senior advisers overseeing Donald Trump’s 2026 midterm operation reportedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars each to advise Republika Srpska, a self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, before its election. Their work has drawn criticism from Republican insiders because it took place just a month before US midterms, when the party faces a difficult fight to retain control of Congress.
The territory’s nationalist party won convincingly, despite reported delays and technical issues. Republika Srpska is aligned with Russia, and its politician Milorad Dodik, who is banned from holding office, thanked Vladimir Putin and Trump after the result; Dodik had met Putin in Moscow five days before the vote. Trump said the advisers were outside consultants and that he would dismiss them if he found a conflict of interest; a MAGA Inc spokesman said they also held a call with campaign race captains during the trip.
- Two Trump midterm advisers reportedly earned large fees advising a Balkan government.
- Their trip came a month before a closely watched US election.
- Trump said he would act if he found a conflict of interest.
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Republika Srpska is a self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is closely aligned with Russia. Its recent election drew international attention because two senior advisers overseeing Donald Trump's campaign for the 2026 US midterms were reportedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each to advise political parties in the territory. This work took place just a month before Americans voted, when Republicans face a difficult battle to maintain control of Congress.
The territory's nationalist party won the election despite reported technical problems and delays. A prominent politician there, Milorad Dodik, publicly thanked both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump after the result, and had met Putin in Moscow just five days before voting. Trump has said the advisers were independent consultants hired to do outside work and promised to dismiss them if conflicts of interest existed.
Republican insiders have expressed anger about the arrangement, questioning whether it distracted the advisers from a crucial domestic midterm campaign. The involvement has raised concerns because the territory is closely aligned with Russia and because the timing appeared to pull senior campaign figures away from their primary focus on securing seats in Congress.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The advisers operated as outside consultants, which is standard practice across the political consulting industry, and there is no evidence of actual wrongdoing or misuse of campaign resources. International consulting work is a normal and legal part of many political operatives' professional portfolios, and the fact that their expertise is sought globally reflects their professional standing. They completed the assignment a month before the midterms, providing time to refocus on domestic priorities, and maintaining such international work is routine for experienced strategists.
The case against
Regardless of legality, accepting substantial payments from a Russia-aligned entity during the most critical phase of a midterm election, when Republicans face a difficult fight to retain congressional control, presents an untenable optics problem. This divided attention during an election year suggests personal financial gain was prioritised over party interests at a crucial moment, and the connection to a sanctioned figure and Kremlin-aligned politics undermines credibility on matters of election integrity and national security at precisely the wrong time.