Donald Trump names Will Scharf as next White House counsel

President Donald Trump announced on August 9 that Will Scharf, currently serving as White House Staff Secretary, will become the next White House counsel effective September 1, 2026.

Scharf replaces David Warrington, who has held the position since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, and is departing for the private sector.

From gatekeeper to legal guardian

Scharf has held the Staff Secretary role since late 2024, when Trump tapped him during the presidential transition. The White House counsel advises the president on constitutional questions, executive orders, judicial nominations, and the legal boundaries of presidential power.

Born on March 29, 1986, in New York City, Scharf earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 2008 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2011. He went on to serve as an Assistant US Attorney in Missouri, prosecuting federal cases, before pivoting to the political side as a senior adviser to then-Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. In 2024, Scharf ran for Missouri attorney general, though he ultimately did not win that race.

The legal battles that built the relationship

Scharf contributed to the legal strategy behind the presidential immunity case that went before the US Supreme Court. He also brings experience relevant to judicial confirmations from Trump’s first term.

Warrington, the outgoing counsel, came to the role from a background in corporate and constitutional litigation. His tenure covered the early stretch of Trump’s second term beginning January 20, 2025.

Timing and the midterm question

The September 1 start date puts Scharf in the counsel’s office roughly two months before the November 2026 midterm elections. Moving from Staff Secretary to White House counsel means Scharf has now occupied two of the most powerful non-Cabinet positions in the West Wing, giving him direct familiarity with the president’s document flow and decision-making patterns before assuming the legal role. At 40 years old, Scharf is relatively young for the role.

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