Katie Wiles, the daughter of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, has been photographed holding a rifle alongside a senior official from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s pro-Russian Republika Srpska administration, drawing fresh attention to links between President Donald Trump’s circle and the region.
The image, verified by CBS News, shows Katie Wiles standing beside Željko Budimir, Republika Srpska’s interior minister, at a shooting range. The photograph appears to have originated from a story on her personal Instagram account, captioned “mostly work + some serious fun!”. It was widely shared on social media as well.
The development comes amid scrutiny over the work of Trump-linked political consultants for the region and questions about the connections between Washington lobbying firms and Republika Srpska, whose political leadership has cultivated close ties with Russia.
What was Katie Wiles doing in Bosnia?
A spokesperson for Continental Strategy, the Washington-based political and lobbying firm where Katie Wiles is a partner, confirmed to CBS News that she visited Republika Srpska for two days in mid-August.
{{/usCountry}}A spokesperson for Continental Strategy, the Washington-based political and lobbying firm where Katie Wiles is a partner, confirmed to CBS News that she visited Republika Srpska for two days in mid-August.
{{/usCountry}}The firm said the trip was connected to a US-based company invited to conduct a feasibility study in the region. Wiles had provided strategic communications support to that company for more than two years, the spokesperson said, adding that she had not spoken with any US government official about Republika Srpska.
The firm did not identify the US company in its statement to CBS News. The news outlet reported that US foreign-agent registration filings showed Continental Strategy had registered to lobby on behalf of Republika Srpska earlier in 2026.
A White House official told CBS News that Susie Wiles “does not discuss work matters with her daughters”.
The photograph itself does not establish that Katie Wiles participated in political campaigning or acted on behalf of the US government.
Trump distances himself from advisers amid controversy
The photograph surfaced as Trump faced questions over two prominent political advisers, James Blair and Chris LaCivita, who reportedly travelled to Republika Srpska ahead of local elections.
According to The New York Times’ report, the two advisers worked in the region for its political leadership. Trump subsequently said he did not know who they were working for and warned that he would terminate their arrangements if a conflict of interest emerged.
In remarks to reporters, however, Trump later said the two were independent consultants and did not work directly for him.
Continental Strategy partner Alejandro Garcia, a former deputy political director for Trump’s presidential campaign, was also identified in foreign-agent registration filings as a consultant for Republika Srpska. The firm said Garcia was the only member of its team who attended the region’s October 4 election day and the only one who interacted with the US government on its behalf.
Why Republika Srpska is under scrutiny
Republika Srpska is a semi-autonomous entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina led politically by Milorad Dodik, a Serbian nationalist who has cultivated ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government.
The region’s links to Trump associates have also drawn attention because of a proposed energy project worth more than $1.5 billion. CBS News reported that a US company connected to Trump associates secured a role in a major gas pipeline project after sanctions against Dodik were lifted.
House Democrats have separately accused the administration of lifting sanctions in a way that benefited Trump allies, allegations that have not been established as fact. A White House official said the sanctions were lifted to prevent instability in the Balkans.
The photograph of Katie Wiles adds another point of scrutiny to the network of political and business connections surrounding Republika Srpska. However, the available reporting does not establish that her visit was linked to the work of Trump’s political advisers or to the energy project.