First and foremost, for context, his arrival is primarily the result of personal connections between SNSD officials and individuals close to the Trump family. More specifically, it involves the relationship between Igor Dodik, the son of SNSD President Milorad Dodik, and Matan Adelson, an Israeli-American entrepreneur and son of Miriam Adelson, who financed the campaign of the current U.S. president with enormous donations. Adelson and Dodik, in fact, studied together in Milan.
Continuation of Dodik’s PR Campaign from Washington
As for the visit of Trump Jr. itself, it has been announced as a potential for investments. Of course, that will certainly be one of the topics, but it will definitely not be the main one, at least for those who believe they will benefit politically.
This visit must be viewed in the broader context of SNSD’s politics, primarily that of party president Milorad Dodik. Just as the visit to Washington aimed at PR, so too can the arrival of the eldest son of the U.S. president be seen.
Trump Jr. and the companies he represents, grouped under The Trump Organization, may invest some money in Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically in the entity of Republika Srpska, but for Dodik and the ruling structure in RS, that will only be a bonus.
The primary purpose of his visit will be his photographs on the streets of Banja Luka, as well as posing with SNSD officials, with Dodik in the forefront, because that will bring the greatest political profit.
These photographs will be the centerpiece of the SNSD’s campaign in the upcoming elections, scheduled for October this year, with the message that once-undesirable partners are now the first line of communication with the American administration.
The facts, of course, largely tell a different story, but the political discourse in BiH is such that narrative comes before truth.
Simply put, photographs are more powerful than explanations, and context is simply no longer important because it cannot be adequately presented to the public, especially not more powerfully than the message conveyed by posing Milorad Dodik with Donald Trump Jr.
Public Comments Carry Enormous Risk
As for parties based in the Federation of BiH that call themselves pro-Bosnian, they should understand and perceive this visit as an extension of Dodik and Željka Cvijanović’s earlier PR visit to Washington.
The arrival of someone so close to the U.S. president is, of course, a matter to be taken seriously, but public comments carry the risk of sending the wrong message.
In other words, comments that downplay, as well as those that exaggerate his visit, could provide an additional opportunity for political points for the SNSD, whose campaign is largely based on alleged conflicts with "political Sarajevo."
Moreover, any public and negative comment about Trump Jr. could very easily reach the White House, where the person who sits and makes decisions is particularly sensitive to such matters.
What Will Be the Result of Trump Jr.’s Visit?
If we are talking about concrete results of the visit of Trump’s eldest son, it is essentially impossible to predict and largely depends on the outcome of his meetings in Banja Luka.
However, the true purpose will be fulfilled when the first photograph of Trump Jr. and Milorad Dodik appears. With that, the PR campaign of Dodik and the SNSD will reach its kind of peak.