White House Counsel David Warrington is leaving the administration to return to the private sector. President Trump announced the move over the weekend, praising Warrington for a “truly outstanding job” and naming Will Scharf, the current White House staff secretary, as his replacement effective September 1.
It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve President Trump — as his personal attorney, Trump-Vance campaign counsel, and White House Counsel.
For many years, I have had the privilege of standing with the President through consequential fights, historic victories, and in…
— David Warrington (@DWarrington0311) August 10, 2026
Who David Warrington Is
Warrington is a Marine Corps veteran who enlisted out of high school and served six years, including embassy security duty. He later earned degrees from Georgetown and George Mason Law. His early legal and political work had a strong conservative and libertarian flavor. He helped found the National Association for Gun Rights, worked on Ron Paul campaigns, and built a practice focused on Second Amendment and related issues.
His connection to Trump dates back to 2016, when Don McGahn brought him in to handle delegate and convention legal work. He later joined Harmeet Dhillon’s firm, represented Trump allies, and eventually became one of Trump’s personal lawyers. By the 2024 campaign he was serving as general counsel. After the election Trump named him White House Counsel, a role he held from the start of the second term.
Inside the West Wing, Warrington operated as a facilitator more than a roadblock. He helped navigate the legal architecture around emergency powers, tariffs, immigration enforcement, and other aggressive uses of presidential authority. He was part of the small circle of advisers present in key decision meetings. Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles have both described him as loyal, effective, and hardworking.
Why He Is Leaving
The official explanation is straightforward: he is returning to the private sector. Trump’s announcement contained no hint of tension or disagreement. No reports have surfaced of a specific policy clash or internal power struggle forcing the exit. The timing—months before the midterms, with heavy litigation and potential congressional investigations still ahead—makes the departure notable, but the public record so far treats it as a voluntary move after roughly 20 months in the job.
White House counsel is a high-burnout post. The combination of constant litigation, congressional oversight, and the need to keep the president’s agenda legally viable takes a toll. Warrington had already spent years in the Trump legal orbit before entering government. A return to private practice after delivering what the president considers successful results is consistent with how these roles often end.
Congratulations to Will Scharf on his appointment as Assistant to the President and White House Counsel. Will has been my friend and partner for several years, and I look forward to working with him and his team.
I also want to thank my good friend David Warrington for his…
— Attorney General Todd Blanche (@AGToddBlanche) August 10, 2026
Who Replaces Him
Will Scharf takes over on September 1. Scharf is a younger lawyer, a Princeton and Harvard Law graduate, former federal prosecutor, and former clerk to federal appeals court judges. He joined Trump’s personal legal team in 2023 and worked on multiple high-stakes matters, including the presidential immunity case that reached the Supreme Court. He later became White House staff secretary, controlling the flow of documents and decisions to the Oval Office and frequently appearing at executive-order signing sessions.
Scharf also chaired the National Capital Planning Commission, the body with jurisdiction over major federal projects in the Washington area, including the White House ballroom initiative. Trump has described him as tough, strong, smart, and respectful of the law. Colleagues have characterized him as both willing to advance aggressive elements of the agenda and capable of telling the president “no” when legal risk becomes too high.
What It Means
The change keeps the White House Counsel’s office in the hands of a lawyer who has already represented Trump personally and understands the administration’s legal strategy from the inside. Scharf inherits a docket heavy with court challenges to second-term initiatives and the approaching midterm political calendar. Warrington leaves with the president’s public gratitude and no visible scars. The transition appears orderly. Whether it signals a shift in legal posture or simply a personnel rotation will become clearer once Scharf is fully in the chair.
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