US President Donald Trump has named Will Scharf, currently serving as White House staff secretary, as his next White House counsel and assistant to the president. Scharf will replace David Warrington, who is leaving the administration for the private sector, with the transition taking effect on 1 September. Trump praised the appointment on Truth Social, describing Scharf as "Tough, Strong, and Smart" and highlighting his background as a federal prosecutor and his record of representing the president in several major legal cases.
Scharf has been a close legal ally of Trump since joining his defence team in 2023, working on the federal election interference case brought by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. That case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2024 that presidents enjoy broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts — a landmark decision with significant constitutional implications. Scharf's ties to Trump stretch back further still: during Trump's first term he worked on the confirmation of federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. After Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Scharf became staff secretary, managing documents flowing to the president and regularly appearing at executive-order signings.
Scharf has also been a central figure in one of the administration's most contentious projects. Trump appointed him chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission — the executive-branch agency overseeing construction and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington region — in July 2025. The commission subsequently approved a $400 million ballroom planned on the site of the demolished White House East Wing. A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that construction must halt because such a significant alteration to the White House requires explicit congressional approval; Trump has vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
The role of White House counsel is one of the most consequential legal positions in the US government. The office advises the presidency on legal and constitutional questions, reviews legislation and executive actions, manages presidential pardons, works on judicial appointments, and coordinates the administration's response to congressional investigations and lawsuits filed against the president in his official capacity.
Scharf assumes the post at a particularly sensitive moment. Midterm elections in November will determine whether Trump's Republican Party retains control of Congress, and Democrats have pledged to launch investigations into the administration if they win back the majority. His appointment follows a broader pattern of Trump elevating lawyers who previously represented him personally: Todd Blanche, who defended Trump in his criminal trials, was recently confirmed as attorney general, while D. John Sauer, who argued the presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court, serves as solicitor general.