President Donald Trump has appointed Will Scharf as White House counsel, effective Sept. 1, replacing David Warrington, who is departing for the private sector. Trump praised Scharf on Truth Social as decisive, strong, and sharp, announcing the move ahead of the midterm elections.
Scharf, a former federal prosecutor who has represented Trump in multiple cases including at the Supreme Court, was named chair of the National Capital Planning Commission in July 2025. He oversaw the approval of a controversial $400 million White House ballroom project, which the NCPC cleared in April before a federal appeals court halted construction, ruling it required explicit congressional authorization.
Trump has said he intends to appeal the ballroom ruling to the Supreme Court.