Trump announces staff secretary Will Scharf will be his new White House
counsel
[August 10, 2026]
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Sunday
that his new White House counsel will be Will Scharf, the staff
secretary who as the Trump-appointed head of the National Capital
Planning Commission helped secure approval for the $400 million ballroom
project.
Trump said that, beginning Sept. 1, Scharf will be replacing David
Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private
sector. Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal
prosecutor and represented him in a number of cases, including at the
Supreme Court.
“Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and
respects the Law,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Will Scharf will do a
great job as White House Counsel!”
The shakeup in the White House counsel's office comes at a critical
juncture — just months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump's
Republican Party will be fighting to hold on to control of Congress.
Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his
administration if they are successful in November.
The White House counsel’s job is to advise on legal and policy questions
related to the presidency. The office is the primary White House contact
for the Justice Department, and it handles presidential pardons, works
on judicial appointments and reviews legislation. The office also helps
investigate and manage congressional investigations into the
administration and lawsuits against the president when he is sued in his
official capacity.
During Trump's first term, Scharf worked to get judges and justices
confirmed for him. They included U.S. Supreme Court Justices Brett
Kavanaugh — who himself served as White House staff secretary for
President George W. Bush — and Amy Coney Barrett.
In the period when Trump was out of office, Scharf joined his legal team
in October 2023 and was one of his lawyers in the election interference
case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The case went before the
Supreme Court, which ruled that presidents enjoy sweeping immunity from
criminal prosecution for official acts.
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White House staff secretary Will Scharf, left, hands President
Donald Trump an executive order to sign in the Oval Office of the
White House, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon,
File)
Scharf is among several of Trump’s lawyers who have been rewarded
with spots in his second administration. Todd Blanche, who
represented Trump during the Republican’s hush money trial in New
York. was confirmed last week as attorney general.
As White House staff secretary, Scharf was responsible for managing
the papers that cross the president’s desk. He is at Trump's side
when the president signs executive orders and often provides running
narration on what Trump is signing.
Trump in July 2025 named Scharf as chair of the National Capital
Planning Commission, the executive branch agency with jurisdiction
over construction and major renovations to government buildings in
the region.
Trump's ballroom won final approval from the NCPC in April, though a
divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction on the
project must stop because Congress had not approved it. Trump has
vowed to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The project is already well on its way and has begun to rise above
ground on the east side of the White House.
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