Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Will Scharf, the staff secretary who helped secure approval for the $400m White House ballroom project, will become White House counsel and assistant to the president.
Effective 1 September, Scharf will replace David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Warrington formerly served as a personal counsel and a lawyer for Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Trump noted that Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented him in a number of cases, including at the supreme court. Scharf also led the National Capital Planning Commission, which approved the president’s construction of the White House ballroom.
“Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!”
The shakeup in the White House counsel’s office comes at a critical juncture – just months ahead of the midterm elections, where Trump’s Republican party will be fighting to hold on to control of Congress.
Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his administration if they are successful in November.
The White House counsel’s job is to advise on legal and policy questions related to the presidency. The office is the primary White House contact for the justice department, and it handles presidential pardons, works on judicial appointments and reviews legislation. The office also helps investigate and manage congressional investigations into the administration and lawsuits against the president when he is sued in his official capacity.
Trump in July 2025 had named Scharf as chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, the executive branch agency with jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.
Trump’s ballroom won final approval from the NCPC in April, though a divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction on the project must stop because Congress had not approved it. Trump has vowed to appeal to the supreme court.
The project is already well on its way and has begun to rise above ground on the east side of the White House.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed reporting
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