Outlet reports President Donald Trump will name White House staff secretary Will Scharf as new White House counsel

President Donald Trump has named White House staff secretary Will Scharf to become White House counsel and assistant to the president, with an effective date of September 1, according to The Guardian. The report says Scharf, who previously helped secure approval for a planned $400 million White House ballroom project, will replace David Warrington, who is expected to leave the administration.

The White House staff secretary role is among the senior positions on the president’s immediate staff, typically focused on coordinating access, scheduling, and internal processes for the West Wing. The White House counsel job, by contrast, is responsible for legal guidance across executive branch matters and for advising on issues that can involve statutory interpretation, administrative procedure, and constitutional questions.

The Guardian report places the change in a broader personnel timeline tied to the ballroom project. It says Scharf’s work supporting approval of the $400 million project is part of why he is being elevated to White House counsel, while Warrington’s departure would open the counsel post beginning September 1.

A replacement for White House counsel typically matters beyond staff reshuffling because the counsel’s office interfaces with multiple components of the executive branch, including the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, policy offices, and agencies that may need legal review before taking action. Personnel changes can also affect how quickly legal questions are resolved internally, including during periods when the administration is issuing policy decisions, directing agency implementation, or preparing responses to litigation.

The report also did not identify a specific White House announcement by date, nor did it cite a Federal Register filing or another official legal instrument documenting the change. Under Apex Times standards, an official confirmation would usually come from White House communications, a federal appointment notice, or other primary documentation.

If White House records confirm the personnel action, the key practical effect would be on the day-to-day legal review process inside the West Wing and on the continuity of legal positions held or advanced by the counsel’s office. Further developments are expected around staff transitions scheduled for September 1, including who will take over the staff secretary role.

The appointment remains unverified by an official primary record in the material currently available for this story, and readers should treat the report as subject to confirmation by White House or Federal Register documentation.