Trump announces staff secretary Will Scharf will be his new White House counsel

President Donald Trump has announced that Will Scharf will be the new White House counsel, effective September 1. Scharf, who currently serves as staff secretary, will replace David Warrington, who is leaving to join the private sector. According to ABC News (US), Warrington formerly served as a personal counsel and a lawyer for Trump's 2024 campaign.

Scharf has previously served as a federal prosecutor and represented Trump in several cases, including at the Supreme Court. As reported by multiple outlets, he also led the National Capital Planning Commission, which approved Trump's plan to construct a $400 million White House ballroom. The Jerusalem Post notes that Scharf is Jewish and a top student at both Princeton University and Harvard Law School.

The shakeup in the White House counsel's office comes just months ahead of the midterm elections. According to ABC News (US), Democrats have vowed to pursue investigations into Trump and his administration if they gain control of Congress. The White House counsel's job is to advise on legal and policy questions related to the presidency, and the office handles presidential pardons, judicial appointments, and reviews legislation.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, ABC News (US), Free Malaysia Today, The Mainichi, Jerusalem Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.