Trump Appoints New Official
President Donald Trump is making a major change to his White House legal team, promoting an attorney who previously defended him during some of the most consequential legal battles of his political career.
Trump announced that Will Scharf will become White House counsel beginning September 1, replacing David Warrington, who is leaving the administration for the private sector.
The appointment gives Scharf one of the most important legal positions in the White House. It also places another attorney with deep ties to Trump’s previous legal defense team in a senior administration role.
For the Trump administration, the timing could be significant. The White House continues to deal with lawsuits and court challenges involving presidential authority, executive actions and administration policies.
Trump Announces Will Scharf As New White House Counsel
Trump announced Scharf’s promotion Sunday, praising both his legal abilities and his commitment to the country.
Trump announced on Truth Social that Will Scharf will take over as assistant to the president and White House counsel beginning September 1.
The president described Scharf as “Tough, Strong, and Smart!” and said he believes the attorney will perform well in his new position.
Trump also praised outgoing White House counsel David Warrington, crediting him for his work in the administration as well as his previous service as an attorney for Trump’s presidential campaign.
Warrington’s departure opens the door for Scharf to move from a powerful behind-the-scenes White House position into a role that could have a major influence on the administration’s legal strategy.
Who Is Will Scharf?
Scharf has held the position of White House staff secretary since Trump began his second term in January 2025.
The staff secretary is responsible for overseeing the flow of documents and other materials reaching the president. While the position generally attracts less public attention than Cabinet-level jobs, it can provide considerable access to the president and the inner workings of the White House.
Scharf’s legal career, however, began well before his current White House service.
He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Missouri and later practiced law privately. He also clerked for two federal appeals court judges.
Scharf graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
He has also served as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, giving him responsibilities beyond his work inside the White House.
Scharf Defended Trump During High-Profile Legal Battles
Many Americans may recognize Scharf from his role on Trump’s legal team before the president returned to the White House.
Scharf represented Trump in several major legal disputes and was involved in the defense against the federal election interference prosecution brought by former special counsel Jack Smith.
He also became a frequent television presence while Trump’s attorneys publicly challenged the criminal cases and investigations targeting the former president.
Trump specifically highlighted that history when announcing Scharf’s promotion, noting that the attorney represented him in numerous cases, including matters before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump has long argued that the investigations and prosecutions brought against him amounted to political “weaponization” during the Biden administration.
That characterization remains politically disputed. Trump and his supporters have argued that prosecutors unfairly targeted a political opponent, while officials responsible for the cases maintained that their decisions were based on applicable law and evidence.
Regardless of the political disagreement surrounding those prosecutions, Scharf’s work during that period established him as one of the attorneys Trump relied upon during an unprecedented series of legal battles.
Trump Turns To Attorneys He Knows And Trusts
Scharf’s promotion highlights a broader pattern in Trump’s second administration: several lawyers who previously represented him have gone on to receive important government positions.
Warrington himself had represented Trump before becoming White House counsel.
Other prominent attorneys associated with Trump’s legal defense have also entered the administration, including Solicitor General D. John Sauer and Todd Blanche.
For Trump, those appointments put people with whom he has already worked closely into positions involving some of the federal government’s most consequential legal questions.
Supporters may view that history as an advantage. These attorneys already understand Trump’s governing philosophy, his previous legal battles and the administration’s approach to executive authority.
Critics, meanwhile, have raised broader questions about presidents appointing former personal attorneys and loyal advisers to powerful government positions.
Such competing views are likely to continue as Scharf assumes his new responsibilities.
Why The White House Counsel Position Matters
The White House counsel is far more than simply the president’s lawyer.
The office advises the president and White House staff on legal matters connected to official government responsibilities. That can include questions involving executive orders, presidential powers, ethics requirements, congressional investigations and constitutional disputes.
The distinction between the president’s personal attorney and White House counsel is important. The White House counsel represents the interests of the presidency and executive branch in an official capacity rather than serving simply as the president’s private defense attorney.
That makes Scharf’s transition particularly notable.
He is moving from someone who personally helped defend Trump during major legal cases to an official White House position responsible for advising the administration on matters involving the presidency.
Legal Challenges Remain A Major Issue For Trump’s Administration
Scharf could have plenty to deal with after taking over the position.
Presidential administrations routinely face litigation, but Trump’s aggressive use of executive authority has produced significant legal disputes over the scope of presidential power and the federal government’s authority to implement major policy changes.
When federal judges block or question administration policies, White House attorneys can play an important role in determining the government’s next legal steps.
The counsel’s office can also help evaluate proposed executive actions before they are implemented, potentially identifying constitutional, statutory or procedural problems that could later become the subject of lawsuits.
That responsibility means the White House counsel can have substantial influence even though much of the office’s work takes place outside public view.
Scharf Moves Deeper Into Trump’s Inner Circle
The promotion represents a significant rise for Scharf within Trump’s second administration.
As staff secretary, he has already occupied a position close to the president, controlling and coordinating much of the paperwork and information flowing into the Oval Office.
As White House counsel, his influence will shift toward legal strategy and presidential decision-making.
His experience could make him particularly valuable to an administration that has repeatedly confronted questions about the limits of executive authority.
It also underscores Trump’s preference for surrounding himself with advisers whose abilities and loyalty he has observed firsthand.
Scharf stood beside Trump during some of the most difficult legal battles of his political career. Beginning September 1, he will take on a different challenge: helping the White House navigate the legal battles that come with governing.
For Americans watching Trump’s second term, Scharf may soon become one of the most consequential — if less publicly visible — figures inside the president’s White House.