Trump names Will Scharf as White House counsel

President Donald Trump has named Will Scharf, a longtime legal ally who helped advance the disputed $400 million White House ballroom project, as his next White House counsel and assistant to the president.

Scharf will take over on September 1, replacing David Warrington, who is leaving the administration for the private sector. Warrington previously served as a personal lawyer for Trump and as counsel to his 2024 campaign.

Trump announced the move Sunday on Truth Social, praising Scharf’s legal background and loyalty. “Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law,” Trump wrote. “Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!”

The appointment moves Scharf from White House staff secretary, a role overseeing documents reaching the president and the administrative work of the Oval Office, into one of the administration’s most important legal posts. The White House counsel advises on legal, constitutional and policy questions tied to the presidency, reviews legislation and executive actions, serves as a key White House contact with the Justice Department, handles presidential pardons and works on judicial appointments. The office also helps manage lawsuits against the president in his official capacity and congressional investigations into the administration.

Scharf’s elevation comes months before November’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be trying to retain control of Congress. Democrats have said they will pursue investigations into Trump and his administration if they win control.

Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented Trump in several legal matters. He joined Trump’s legal team in 2023 and worked on the federal election interference case brought by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. He was part of Trump’s team when the case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2024 that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

During Trump’s first term, Scharf worked on the confirmation of federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, The Associated Press reported. After Trump returned to office in January 2025, Scharf became staff secretary and was frequently seen with the president during executive-order signings.

Scharf has also been central to the administration’s White House ballroom project. Trump named him chair of the National Capital Planning Commission in July 2025. The commission, an executive branch agency with jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region, approved Trump’s $400 million ballroom project, planned for the site of the demolished East Wing.

The project has faced legal challenges. The ballroom won final approval from the planning commission in April, but a divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction must stop because Congress had not approved it. AFP reported that the appeals court upheld an order stopping aboveground construction and ruled that such a major alteration to the White House requires explicit congressional approval. Trump has said he will appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Guardian reported that the project is already well under way and has begun to rise above ground on the east side of the White House. Scharf had previously said the planning commission had authority over construction but not over the demolition that came before it.

His appointment continues Trump’s practice of elevating lawyers who represented him. Al Jazeera reported that Todd Blanche, who defended Trump in criminal cases, was confirmed as attorney general on Saturday; D. John Sauer, who argued Trump’s presidential immunity case before the Supreme Court, was appointed solicitor general; and former Trump lawyer Emil Bove was first given a senior Justice Department post before being confirmed to a federal appeals court.