President Trump announced Sunday that White House staff secretary Will Scharf will become the next White House counsel. Scharf is scheduled to begin his new role on Sept. 1, succeeding David Warrington, who is leaving the administration for the private sector. The White House counsel serves as the administration’s top lawyer, providing internal legal guidance to the president and the executive staff.
Scharf currently serves as the staff secretary, a role in which he manages the flow of paperwork, information, and executive orders to the president. He is also the chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is currently managing projects including a triumphal arch. In a post on Truth Social, the president described Scharf as "tough, strong, and smart," stating that he respects the law and will perform well in the position.
A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, the 40-year-old Scharf previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Missouri from 2020 to 2022, where he worked in a unit focused on prosecuting violent crimes. His appointment was announced one day after the Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, the president’s former personal defense attorney, to serve as U.S. attorney general.
The transition affects the daily operations of the White House and the executive branch's interaction with the legal system. If the midterm elections result in a change of party control in either chamber of Congress, the White House counsel would be the official responsible for managing the response to potential congressional subpoenas and investigations. During the president’s previous term, similar shifts in congressional control led to multiple investigations and an impeachment proceeding, placing the counsel at the center of the administration's legal defense against legislative inquiries.
Scharf will oversee the legal vetting of executive orders, which directly impact federal policy and agency regulations. The scale of this influence covers all executive actions signed by the president, affecting various sectors of the federal government and the public. As Scharf moves from managing the flow of these documents to providing their legal justification, he will be responsible for ensuring that the administration's directives withstand legal scrutiny. Following his Sept. 1 start date, the White House legal team will prepare for the post-election period and any subsequent changes in the congressional landscape.