President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday, November 16, 2024, that he has appointed his personal attorney, Will Scharf, to serve as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary. This role, while low-profile, is highly influential as the staff secretary controls the flow of memos, briefings, and reports to the president and determines who weighs in on issues and speeches. Trump praised Scharf as a "highly skilled attorney" who will be a "crucial part of my White House team."
Scharf played a significant role in Trump's defense in several legal battles, including the federal criminal case tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and arguing for presidential immunity before the Supreme Court. Trump credited Scharf with helping to defeat "Election Interference and Lawfare waged against me, including by winning the Historic Immunity Decision in the Supreme Court." Scharf was also a regular television commentator defending Trump during his Manhattan hush money trial.
Before this appointment, Scharf had an unsuccessful bid for Missouri attorney general earlier this year. His background includes serving as a federal prosecutor, working on the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett during Trump's first term, clerking for two federal appeals court judges, and serving as policy director for then-Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. Scharf is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. His appointment marks the fourth personal attorney of Trump to land a prominent position in the incoming administration.
