President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, August 9, 2026, that Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, will become the new White House counsel and assistant to the president, effective September 1. Scharf will replace David Warrington, who has served since Trump’s inauguration and is leaving the administration to join the private sector.

Warrington formerly served as a personal counsel and lawyer for Trump’s 2024 campaign. Trump praised Warrington for doing a “truly outstanding job.”

Scharf, a conservative attorney, currently manages the flow of paper to the president’s desk and has been publicly recognized as the official who hands Trump executive orders in the Oval Office. He previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented Trump in several cases, including before the Supreme Court.

In addition to his legal roles, Scharf chaired the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the executive branch agency responsible for overseeing construction and major renovations of government buildings in the Washington, D.C. region. Under his leadership, the NCPC approved the president’s $400 million White House ballroom project in April 2026, although a divided federal appeals court recently ruled that construction must stop because Congress had not approved it.

Trump described Scharf as “Tough, Strong, and Smart,” adding that he “loves our Country, and respects the Law,” and expressed confidence that Scharf “will do a great job as White House Counsel.”

This change in the White House counsel’s office comes months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump’s Republican party aims to maintain control of Congress amid promises by Democrats to investigate Trump and his administration if they succeed in November.

Scharf joined the administration after a failed 2024 primary challenge to Missouri’s then-attorney general and had been part of Trump’s personal appellate legal team prior to his White House tenure.

Sources