Trump Names Will Scharf as White House Counsel, Replacing David Warrington
President Donald Trump announced Aug. 9, 2026, that White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf will become the next White House counsel, elevating a senior administration official to the role responsible for advising the president on legal and constitutional issues.
Scharf will replace David Warrington, who is leaving the administration for the private sector. The change puts Scharf at the center of the White House’s legal work as the administration addresses executive-branch policy, litigation and congressional oversight.
The announcement identifies the personnel change but does not specify Warrington’s exact departure date or name his next private-sector employer.
What the White House counsel does
The White House counsel advises the president on questions involving law and the Constitution. The office also coordinates legal strategy across the executive branch and can shape how the administration responds to lawsuits and inquiries from Congress.
That makes the position consequential beyond the White House’s internal staffing structure. Legal advice from the counsel’s office can influence how presidential actions are evaluated, how executive authority is defended and how the administration coordinates its position in disputes involving federal policy.
Scharf’s appointment, however, does not by itself establish a change in the legal status of any pending case or administration policy. Those changes would require a subsequent filing, directive or other official action.
Scharf’s path to the job
Before being selected as counsel, Scharf served as White House staff secretary. In that role, he was part of the senior team working inside the White House. His move shifts him from a staff-management position into the administration’s principal in-house legal role.
Trump also appointed Scharf in July 2025 to chair the National Capital Planning Commission. The federal commission is involved in reviewing major planning proposals in the nation’s capital, giving Scharf experience with a different area of federal decision-making before his move to the counsel’s office.
During Scharf’s tenure as chair, the commission approved the administration’s $400 million White House ballroom project. That approval links Scharf to one of the administration’s major capital-planning initiatives, although the announcement of his new White House position did not describe any new decision about the ballroom project.
Why the change matters
The counsel’s office sits at the intersection of presidential decision-making, executive-branch law and the administration’s response to legal challenges. Scharf will be positioned to advise Trump as the White House considers the constitutional and legal questions raised by presidential actions.
The office can also serve as a coordinating point for legal positions across the federal government. That work may involve aligning the White House’s approach with executive-branch agencies, responding to litigation and helping the administration address congressional oversight.
For the public, the appointment is therefore more than a change in title. The person occupying the counsel’s office can help shape the administration’s legal posture on disputes that reach federal courts or involve Congress. The practical effect of Scharf’s appointment will depend on the advice he provides and on any subsequent White House directives, legal filings or other official actions.
The announcement makes Scharf Warrington’s successor and describes Warrington’s departure as a move to the private sector. It does not provide a transition date. The next visible steps will be the handoff of the counsel’s responsibilities and any later filings or White House actions reflecting the administration’s legal positions under Scharf.
Sources
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