President Donald Trump is making a major personnel move at the White House just weeks before the midterm elections, elevating longtime legal ally Will Scharf to serve as White House counsel.
Scharf, who had been serving as White House staff secretary, will replace David Warrington in one of the administration’s most important legal posts as Republicans brace for a possible wave of Democratic investigations if control of Congress shifts.
Trump announced the move Saturday and made clear he has confidence in Scharf.
‘I know Will well!’ Trump wrote on social media on Saturday, praising him as ‘tough, strong, and smart.’
Warrington is expected to leave the administration and return to the private sector.
Scharf, 40, has become one of Trump’s most trusted legal hands and previously represented him in major personal legal battles, including the Supreme Court fight tied to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case.
‘Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!’ Trump added.
As staff secretary, Scharf handled legal memos, policy documents and other materials requiring the president’s attention, giving him a front-row seat to the administration’s day-to-day operations.
He also became a familiar face during White House signing ceremonies, where Trump would often call on him to explain executive orders and legal actions to reporters.
POLL: Will You Support Trump And His Candidates In The Midterms?
The promotion places Scharf in a far more consequential role as the administration prepares for what could be a bruising political and legal fight after the midterms.
If Democrats capture the House, they are expected to use committee power aggressively against Donald Trump and his administration, setting up subpoenas, investigations and potential courtroom battles.
Scharf’s legal background makes him a natural fit for that fight.
Before joining Trump’s second administration, he served on the president’s personal legal team and helped lead work on the Supreme Court case involving Smith.
Scharf has also been appointed to the National Capital Planning Commission, where he has helped advance the legal case for Trump’s sweeping renovation plans across Washington.
Those projects have become a repeated target of liberal legal challenges as Trump pushes to reshape parts of the nation’s capital.
Scharf has not always simply rubber-stamped every proposal, however.
He previously raised concerns about suspending habeas corpus rights for illegal immigrants, drafting a memo warning that such a move could face major legal challenges.
He also drew attention in September after being caught on a hot mic joking that ‘our brand is crisis,’ a reference to the political comedy film starring Sandra Bullock.
Scharf is part of the so-called ‘Missouri Mafia,’ an informal circle of conservative legal and political figures from the state who now hold influential positions in Washington.
The group includes Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, Solicitor General John Sauer, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Jesus Osete and FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey.
Before entering the Trump orbit, Scharf served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Missouri and later ran unsuccessfully for Missouri attorney general in 2024.
His promotion gives Trump another battle-tested conservative lawyer in a top White House role at a moment when the administration is preparing for both a critical election and the possibility of renewed Democratic lawfare from Capitol Hill.
