Trump appoints Will Scharf as White House counsel and presidential adviser

Monday 10 August 2026 - 10:33

By: Azzat Manal

Trump appoints Will Scharf as White House counsel and presidential adviser

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Will Scharf, the current White House staff secretary, will become White House counsel and assistant to the president beginning September 1, 2026. He will succeed David Warrington, who is expected to move to the private sector after serving in the administration.

Trump praised Scharf’s performance in his current position and highlighted his legal background, describing him as a strong and experienced lawyer who has represented the president in major legal disputes. Scharf has also previously served as a federal prosecutor, worked in private practice and clerked for federal appellate judges.

The appointment gives Scharf a significantly more influential role at the center of the White House legal and policy apparatus. As staff secretary, he has already occupied a key position in managing the flow of documents, policy proposals and official decisions reaching the president.

The staff secretary is traditionally responsible for coordinating material submitted to the president and ensuring that documents and recommendations move efficiently between policy, communications, legal and other White House teams. The position can therefore provide its holder with an unusually broad view of the administration's internal operations.

Scharf joined Trump’s legal team in 2023 and became one of the lawyers involved in defending the president in the federal election-interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Before joining the White House, Scharf held several positions in Missouri politics and government. He worked as a policy adviser to former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens and was involved in Republican political campaigns. He also served as a federal prosecutor and clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Trump selected Scharf as White House staff secretary in November 2024, citing his legal experience and previous work supporting the president’s judicial priorities. His professional background has also included involvement in the confirmation process for conservative federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Scharf has remained a visible figure in Trump's political and legal circles. He has appeared in media interviews and written opinion pieces addressing legal issues involving the president. His public profile also increased after he unsuccessfully ran for Missouri attorney general in 2024.

The new White House counsel has also been involved in political and Jewish community organizations. Reports have described him as having grown up in a Modern Orthodox Jewish family and having remained active in Jewish life during his university years.

His appointment reflects Trump's broader reliance on lawyers and political allies who have previously worked on his legal defense. Other former members of Trump's legal team have also received senior positions within the administration, strengthening the connection between the president's campaign-era legal network and his government.

As White House counsel, Scharf will now face the task of advising the president on legal questions surrounding executive action, government policy and the administration's relations with Congress and the courts.

The move places a prominent Trump ally in one of the most consequential legal positions in the White House and is likely to make Scharf an important figure in the administration's decision-making process during the remainder of Trump's term.