White House counsel role goes to Will Scharf as Trump promotes his longtime legal ally to one of the administration’s most powerful legal posts.
US President Donald Trump has named longtime legal ally Will Scharf as White House counsel, promoting a trusted member of his inner circle to the administration’s top White House legal role.
Scharf currently serves as White House staff secretary and assistant to the president. He will take over the new position on September 1, 2026, replacing David Warrington, Trump announced on Sunday.
Warrington previously served as Trump’s personal attorney and worked as a legal adviser during his 2024 presidential campaign. He is expected to return to private practice.
The appointment moves Scharf from an influential behind-the-scenes position into one of the most important legal jobs in the US administration.
As staff secretary, Scharf manages documents and information moving through the Oval Office. That includes material presented to Trump for review and signature.
He has also frequently appeared beside the president during the signing of executive orders and other official documents.
Will Scharf Moves Into White House Counsel Role
Before joining the administration, Scharf served on Trump’s legal team and represented him in several major court battles.
One of the most significant involved the presidential immunity case that reached the US Supreme Court during proceedings linked to the federal election interference case against Trump.
Scharf previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Missouri. He was also involved in work surrounding the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett during Trump’s first presidency.
He later entered Missouri politics. In 2024, Scharf unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for state attorney general before later taking a senior position in Trump’s White House following the presidential election.
Trump initially announced Scharf’s appointment as White House staff secretary in November 2024. At the time, Trump highlighted Scharf’s legal experience and his role in the president’s legal battles.
The White House counsel advises the presidency and administration on legal matters. The position differs from serving as Trump’s personal attorney.
The counsel’s office handles issues involving executive actions, legislation, presidential authority, judicial matters, congressional investigations and legal challenges involving the administration.
Scharf Takes On Powerful White House Legal Post
Scharf has also served as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, giving him a role in planning decisions involving federal property in Washington.
In that position, he has participated in the approval process surrounding Trump’s proposed White House ballroom project.
His promotion to White House counsel further strengthens the presence of lawyers who previously represented Trump personally within senior positions in his administration.
The appointment also comes while the Trump administration faces significant legal disputes over elements of its domestic agenda.
It also arrives only months before the 2026 US midterm elections.
Scharf will now move from managing much of the paperwork entering the Oval Office to helping shape the legal strategy surrounding decisions coming out of it.
