SERBIAN BUSINESSMAN FROM CHICAGO: “Melania’s father fondly remembers his military service in Vranje and speaks Serbian as his native language” (VIDEO)

Filip Milivojević is a Serbian businessman from Chicago and one of the founders of the Serbian-American Political Action Committee (PAC), recently established as the first Serbian lobbying group in the U.S. with the aim of defending and representing the interests of Serbs and Serbia in Washington.

This Niš-born entrepreneur successfully runs a large transportation company and supported the candidacy of now re-elected U.S. President Donald Trump with six-figure donations during the election campaign.

Filip, along with his colleagues from the Serbian-American PAC, believes that Serbs in America must become more actively involved in high-level U.S. politics, as this is the only way to fight for the interests of both Serbia and the Serbian people, both in the homeland and the diaspora.

SERBIAN INITIATIVE: With the founders of the Serbian-American PAC

He believes that the lack of such initiatives has contributed to Serbia finding itself on opposing sides with American interests and policies in the Balkans and Southeast Europe over the past few decades.

“There is no point in looking back and lamenting over spilled milk. We have a future ahead of us that we must build wisely by establishing close ties with the U.S. administration in favor of our people and country. This is why PAC was founded,” says Filip Milivojević for Serbian Times.

NOTHING WITHOUT MONEY IN HIGH POLITICS: Filip Milivojević and Janićije Karić with Trump’s lawyer Mike Davis (left) and businessman Jeremy Frizen (second from the right)

He adds that money is essential to gaining the opportunity to influence high politics:

“Each of us has invested a significant amount of money to be able to sit at the same table at a dinner with Donald Trump or to meet people from his new cabinet, senators, congressmen, and influential figures behind the scenes. This is how American politics works, and we are trying to operate accordingly,” he emphasizes, adding that the contacts and acquaintances made at the recent inauguration in Washington, as well as at Trump’s campaign headquarters in Florida, where they celebrated his return to the White House, will be of great importance for future actions and initiatives of the Serbian-American PAC.

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Filip highlights the individuals he had the opportunity to meet on these occasions…

Nostalgia in Serbian with Melania’s Father

“Certainly, the warmest encounter at the inauguration in Washington was with Viktor Knavs, the father of First Lady Melania Trump, a successful businessman in Slovenia, Europe, and America. The conversation was conducted in Serbian, which Viktor speaks fluently like a native. Viktor nostalgically shared memories from his youth, recalling his military service in Vranje in the 1960s, where he was a driver for a JNA general. He also remembered his time in my hometown of Niš, which brought back fond memories of Serbia. We talked about the Trump family, Melania, Barron, and their son-in-law, Donald Trump.

“Viktor also recalled his daughter Melania’s childhood, saying she was exceptionally capable and independent from an early age. As a sign of trust and a desire for future cooperation, Viktor promised to introduce me to Barron Trump in New York, after which we exchanged phone numbers.”

Besides Viktor, Filip also spoke with a group of 12 of his friends from Slovenia, including the youngest member of their parliament, Andrej Poglajen. According to him, this meeting was an opportunity to reminisce but also to connect people from the Balkans who have achieved success worldwide.

An Inspiring Meeting at the Washington Ball

At the VIP afterparty following the inauguration, Filip had the chance to meet and talk with renowned entrepreneur and author Patrick Bet-David (PBD).

“It turned out we have a mutual friend, Governor Rod Blagojevich, who has twice appeared on PBD’s podcast. Patrick showed interest in the business successes of the Serbian community, emphasizing that America is a land of endless opportunities, especially for those dedicated to their dreams. He promised to host Rod again on his podcast and invited me to join them, as well as to be his guest in Florida.”

With Vivek on Djokovic, Serbia, and the Future

For the second time in a short period, Filip had the opportunity to meet Vivek Ramaswamy, one of Trump’s closest associates and one of the most promising young figures in American politics, who will be responsible for budget savings in the new Trump administration, alongside Elon Musk.

“We talked about Serbia, its values, and its most famous citizen—Novak Djokovic. Vivek, a big tennis fan, expressed his desire to meet Djokovic during one of his future visits to the U.S. I took it upon myself to connect these two greats and am already working on organizing their meeting. During our conversation, we also touched on Rod Blagojevich. Vivek said that what happened to Blagojevich was disgraceful. He emphasized that he believes in a better future for him, as well as in strengthening ties between Serbia and the United States.”

Serbian Support for Trump and Future Roles

With renowned political consultant Chris LaCivita, Milivojević discussed the significant support Serbs have given to President Donald Trump.

“Chris noticed our Serbian PAC group frequently attending events to show support for Trump and recalled my conversation with President Trump in May 2024. Chris mentioned Rod Blagojevich during the discussion, saying, ‘Boss loves him,’ referring to Trump’s positive stance towards Blagojevich. I took the opportunity to remind him that Serbia is the only country in Europe, and one of the few in the world, where the majority of the population (60%) supported Donald Trump for president, demonstrating the strong ties between the Serbian people and the president.”

With Trump’s Party Favorite

Donald Trump appointed Michael Whatley, the head of North Carolina Republicans, to one of the most important party positions—Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Filip Milivojević had the opportunity to discuss U.S.-Serbia relations with Whatley.

“Michael praised the Serbian community for its strong support of President Trump, highlighting their contribution to strengthening mutual ties. The conversation ended with a photo, phone number exchange, and an agreement to intensify cooperation between the two communities to further solidify relations and shared interests.”

New FBI Director Dedicated to the Future

At an exclusive VIP event in Washington attended by Jeff Bezos, new FBI Director Kash Patel spoke with Filip about his plan to restore the organization’s credibility and demonstrate American strength in addressing key issues.

“Patel expressed his determination to rebuild public trust and ensure FBI efficiency. During our conversation, Patel praised the entrepreneurial spirit of the Serbian community. The meeting concluded with a joint photo and a toast.”

Hussain Sajwani: Investments Coming from the East

Hussain Sajwani, owner of Damac Group, is known for his large investments and close collaboration with President Trump, to whom he promised $20 billion in U.S. investments at the inauguration.

“Hussain expressed interest in investing in data centers, including opportunities in Balkan countries. I shared ideas about his projects in Dubai and suggested potential connections with key figures from development agencies, as well as investment opportunities in Serbia. A meeting was scheduled for early February in Dubai, which could mark the beginning of significant investments and cooperation in the region.”

For more information or to support the Serbian-American PAC initiative, visit their website: www.serbianamericanpac.com.

Media Contact: Email: info@serbianamericanpac.com

Text: Antonije Kovačević Foto: Privatna arhiva

VlP: Sa kongresmenima Bilom Timonsom (SC), Endijem Oglesom (TN) i Majklom Kolinsom (GA), mađarskim političarem Miklošom Šantom, predsednikom mladih republikanaca Gevinom Vaksom, kongresmenom Medisonom Kautornom (NC) i glumcem Robom Šnajderom na inauguraciji u Vašingtonu