Trump Confirms Will Scharf As Next White House Counsel Beginning September 1
President Trump announced on Sunday, August 9, 2026, that Will Scharf will replace David Warrington as White House counsel effective September 1, 2026.[1]
Scharf currently serves as White House staff secretary.[2] Trump posted on Truth Social calling Scharf "tough, strong, and smart" and saying Scharf "will do a great job as White House Counsel." PBS The White House counsel's office will be central to managing anticipated congressional investigations if Democrats gain ground in the November 2026 midterm elections.[3]
As Trump-appointed chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, Scharf helped secure April 2026 approval for the $400 million White House ballroom project.[3] He previously served as a federal prosecutor and worked on judicial confirmations including Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.[3] He later joined Trump's legal team in the Jack Smith election-interference case, where the Supreme Court recognized sweeping presidential immunity for official acts.[3]
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📌 Key Facts
- President Trump announced on Sunday, August 9, 2026, that Will Scharf will replace David Warrington as White House counsel effective September 1, 2026.
- As Trump-appointed chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, Will Scharf helped secure April 2026 approval for the $400 million White House ballroom project.
- Will Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor, worked on judicial confirmations including Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, and later joined Trump’s legal team on the Jack Smith election‑interference case in which the Supreme Court recognized sweeping presidential immunity for official acts.
- Trump posted on Truth Social calling Scharf “tough, strong, and smart” and saying Scharf “will do a great job as White House Counsel.”
- The White House counsel’s office will be central to managing anticipated congressional investigations if Democrats gain ground in the November 2026 midterm elections.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Article confirms that on Sunday, August 9, 2026, President Trump publicly announced Will Scharf will replace David Warrington as White House counsel effective September 1.
- It specifies that Scharf, as Trump-appointed chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, helped secure April 2026 approval for the $400 million White House ballroom project.
- The piece notes Scharf previously served as a federal prosecutor, worked on judicial confirmations including Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, and later joined Trump’s legal team on the Jack Smith election‑interference case in which the Supreme Court recognized sweeping presidential immunity for official acts.
- Trump is quoted on Truth Social calling Scharf "tough, strong, and smart" and saying Scharf "will do a great job as White House Counsel."
- The article underscores that the counsel’s office will be central to managing anticipated congressional investigations if Democrats gain ground in the November 2026 midterm elections.