President Donald Trump has selected longtime legal ally Will Scharf to become White House counsel, elevating his current staff secretary and former personal attorney to one of the administration’s most influential legal positions just months before the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump announced Sunday that Scharf will take over on September 1, replacing David Warrington, who is leaving the administration for the private sector. Scharf will also carry the title of assistant to the president.
The appointment moves Scharf from a largely behind-the-scenes White House role into the center of the administration’s legal strategy.
As staff secretary, Scharf has helped manage the flow of documents and presidential actions through the Oval Office. Trump has frequently appeared alongside him while signing executive orders and other official documents.
TRENDING TODAY
Scharf also has an extensive legal history with Trump.
Before joining the administration, he represented Trump in multiple legal disputes, including litigation that reached the Supreme Court over presidential immunity. He previously served as a federal prosecutor and later ran unsuccessfully for Missouri attorney general in 2024.
His new job carries significantly broader responsibilities.
The Office of White House Counsel advises the president and White House staff on legal issues connected to presidential duties and administration policy. Its work can involve executive actions, legislation, ethics questions, judicial appointments, presidential pardons and litigation involving the president in his official capacity. The counsel’s office also serves as an important legal link between the White House and the Justice Department.
That role could become especially important after the November elections.
Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress, while Democrats have signaled that winning congressional majorities could bring increased investigations and oversight of the Trump administration. A White House counsel would play a central role in responding to subpoenas, congressional inquiries and other legal conflicts involving the executive branch.
Scharf is also entering the job while several major Trump administration initiatives are facing court challenges.
One of the most visible involves the president’s planned $400 million White House ballroom.
Trump appointed Scharf chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission in July 2025. The commission later approved the ballroom project, with Scharf arguing that the addition would eventually become an important part of the White House complex.
That project suffered a major legal setback only days before Scharf’s promotion.
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld an injunction preventing above-ground construction from continuing without congressional approval. The court concluded that the White House, as a nationally significant federal property, could not undergo the planned changes solely through executive action. Trump has said he intends to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.
Scharf’s connection to the ballroom therefore gives his promotion an unusual additional dimension: he will become the president’s top White House lawyer while litigation continues over a project he previously helped advance through the federal planning process.
Warrington, meanwhile, is departing after serving as White House counsel since Trump returned to office. He had previously represented Trump personally and worked as a lawyer for his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump praised Warrington’s work while announcing the transition.
The selection also continues Trump’s tendency to place lawyers who previously represented him in powerful administration positions. Todd Blanche, another former Trump defense attorney, was recently confirmed by the Senate as attorney general. Scharf’s White House position, unlike the attorney general’s job, is a presidential staff appointment rather than a Senate-confirmed Cabinet post.
The appointment could make Scharf particularly influential because Trump’s second-term agenda continues to generate disputes involving immigration, executive authority, election policy and the scope of presidential power.
For the administration, having a lawyer already deeply familiar with Trump’s legal history and governing style may provide continuity as those cases move forward.
Critics, however, are likely to scrutinize how Scharf handles the distinction between representing Trump’s official presidential interests and his previous role as Trump’s personal lawyer. White House counsel represents the presidency and administration in official legal matters rather than functioning as the president’s private defense attorney.
It also remains unclear who will replace Scharf as staff secretary or whether his departure from the National Capital Planning Commission will produce changes in leadership there.
Why It Matters
White House counsel is one of the most consequential legal jobs inside a presidential administration, particularly when Congress and the courts are challenging major parts of the president’s agenda.
Scharf will help shape how the White House responds to lawsuits, congressional investigations and questions about executive power at a politically sensitive moment.
His appointment also reinforces Trump’s preference for lawyers with whom he has already developed strong personal and professional relationships.
What Comes Next
Scharf is scheduled to formally take over as White House counsel on September 1.
He could quickly face major legal battles, including continued litigation over Trump administration policies and potentially the president’s planned White House ballroom.
His role could become even more significant after the November midterms if Democrats gain control of either chamber of Congress and intensify oversight of the administration.
Trump announced that Will Scharf will become White House counsel on September 1, replacing David Warrington.
It is my Great Honor to announce that, effective September 1st, Will Scharf will become Assistant to the President and White House Counsel, replacing a man, David Warrington, who has done a truly outstanding job as White House Counsel and, before that, for my Presidential… pic.twitter.com/EAg48qPyu2
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 9, 2026
