Trump replaces White House legal counsel: Chief of staff Will Scharf will assume the position effective September 1

President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that Will Scharf, currently Chief of Staff and Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), will become the new White House Counsel effective September 1. Scharf will take over for David Warrington, who is leaving the Trump administration to join the private sector.

"Will is Tough, Strong, and Smart! He also loves our Country, and respects the Law. Will Scharf will do a great job as White House Counsel!" Trump wrote on Truth Social regarding the appointment.

The president also noted that Scharf served as a federal prosecutor before joining his team and that he personally represented him in various lawsuits, including one before the Supreme Court.

Warrington's departure and Scharf's arrival come at a delicate time for the White House, as the midterm elections are just a few months away, elections in which the Republican Party will seek to retain its majority in Congress. The Democrats have already warned that, if they manage to flip that majority in November, they will launch a wave of investigations targeting Trump and his administration.

Scharf's new role will involve advising the president on legal and public policy matters, as well as serving as a direct liaison to the Department of Justice. That office handles presidential pardons, reviews judicial nominations, and analyzes legislation that reaches the Oval Office. It is also responsible for coordinating the response to congressional inquiries and civil lawsuits against the president in his official capacity.

Scharf already played a leading role within the Trump administration as head of the NCPC. He was instrumental in clearing the way for approval of the $400 million ballroom project that Trump is pushing for in the East Wing of the White House. The project received final approval from the agency in April, although a federal appeals court ordered a halt to construction on Friday, ruling that Congress had never authorized it. Trump has already announced that he will take the case to the Supreme Court.