Donald Trump says "will do a great job" as White House counsel for Will Scharf

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Will Scharf, his staff secretary, will become White House counsel on September 1. Scharf succeeds David Warrington, who is departing for the private sector. In announcing the appointment, Trump voiced confidence in Scharf’s competence and patriotism. Scharf, a former federal prosecutor who represented Trump in Supreme Court litigation, also chairs the National Capital Planning Commission, which gave final approval to the president’s $400 million White House ballroom project. A divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that construction must stop because Congress had not authorized it; Trump has vowed to appeal. The leadership change comes months before midterm elections, with Republicans defending their House majority and Democrats pledging investigations if they prevail.