CBS News reports President Donald Trump will name staff secretary Will Scharf as next White House counsel

President Donald Trump will reportedly name Will Scharf, a senior White House staff official who oversees presidential paperwork, as the next White House counsel, according to CBS News. The outlet reported that the transition is scheduled to begin Sept. 1, when Scharf would move into the counsel role.

Scharf currently serves as Trump’s staff secretary, a position that coordinates the flow of presidential documents through the White House process, including materials tied to executive actions. CBS News said he is responsible for overseeing the president’s paperwork and executive orders, a function that typically includes coordinating submissions for review and ensuring that directives move through the administration’s internal review procedures.

The White House counsel role is a top legal position within the executive branch, responsible for advising the president and senior staff on legal issues affecting the administration’s policies and actions. Counsel also helps oversee the legal clearance process for documents produced within the executive office and may play a central part in how the administration frames legal rationale for major actions.

Because the appointment’s details have not been confirmed through an official White House post or Federal Register notice in the research material provided for this report, Apex Times is treating the staffing change as not yet officially verified. If an official White House announcement or a formal personnel action appears later, the record can be updated to confirm the effective date and scope of responsibilities.

The practical effect of a transition in counsel is often administrative as much as substantive. Counsel offices can influence how quickly certain types of documents are prepared for signing, how legal questions are resolved internally, and how executive-branch orders are finalized for public release. That can affect a range of policy areas that rely on the executive order process.

Scharf’s reported background in paperwork and executive-order oversight suggests the administration is making a leadership move from within the internal document workflow, rather than selecting a counsel from outside the White House staff process. CBS News did not provide further detail on whether there will be changes to staffing in the staff secretary function after Sept. 1.

If Scharf begins as reported, the next steps would likely include confirmation of the appointment through official channels, followed by any transition planning for the staff secretary and document-review workflow inside the White House.

Until official confirmation is located, the appointment should be understood as a reported personnel move rather than a finalized, independently verified change in the White House counsel’s office.