Trump appoints Will Scharf as new White House counsel

What This is

• President Donald Trump announced that Will Scharf will become White House counsel and assistant to the president effective Sept. 1.
• Scharf is currently the White House staff secretary, a job that manages and routes key documents and executive actions for the president to review and sign.
• He will replace David Warrington, who is leaving the role and is expected to move into private-sector work.
• White House counsel is the top lawyer inside the White House and advises the president on legal and policy issues, including work with the Justice Department and responses to investigations and lawsuits.
• Scharf has been part of Trump’s legal orbit, including work on major court fights such as the presidential-immunity case argued at the Supreme Court.
• Before joining the White House, Scharf chaired the National Capital Planning Commission, which approved plans tied to Trump’s White House ballroom project that has faced legal pushback, including a court-ordered pause.
• Several reports describe the appointment as part of a broader pattern of Trump elevating former personal lawyers into senior government posts ahead of possible congressional scrutiny.

Why This Matters

• The White House counsel shapes how a president responds to legal limits, court orders, and oversight, which can affect what the administration can do and how quickly it can do it.
• Choosing a former personal lawyer can blur the line between defending the office of the presidency and protecting the president’s personal interests, especially in politically charged investigations.
• Because the job does not require Senate approval, the pick shows how presidents can quickly install key legal decision-makers inside the White House.