Trump Promotes Jewish Attorney Will Scharf to White House Counsel

President Donald Trump has announced that Jewish attorney Will Scharf will become White House Counsel and Assistant to the President beginning September 1, 2026. Scharf currently serves as White House Staff Secretary, overseeing the flow of documents and information to the president and frequently appearing in the Oval Office to present executive orders and other documents for Trump's signature.

As White House Counsel, Scharf will advise the president and senior White House officials on constitutional, legal and policy matters. A former federal prosecutor and Trump personal attorney, he served on Trump's legal team during high-profile cases before the 2024 election and was credited by Trump with playing a key role in the legal effort resulting in the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision.

During Trump's first term, Scharf worked on confirmation processes for Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. He later unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for Missouri attorney general.

Scharf, raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish family in New York and North Florida, maintains Jewish observance including keeping kosher, putting on tefillin daily, and attending Shabbos services at a Chabad shul. A Princeton University and Harvard Law School graduate, he was deeply involved with Chabad on campus, serving as president of the Chabad Student Board.

At a White House Chanukah reception, Scharf led recitation of a bracha, after which Trump commented, "I didn't know you're that Jewish... he's seriously Jewish." He has participated in Jewish activities within the administration, including co-hosting a Pesach event for White House staff and a Purim Megillah reading led by American Friends of Lubavitch.

When White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a photo of Scharf aboard Air Force One with lobster tacos visible, Scharf reposted it with clarification: "For the record, I had the veggie tacos."

Trump initially selected Scharf as White House Staff Secretary following his 2024 election victory, describing him as a "highly skilled attorney" And crucial team member.