Overview

Will Scharf (born 1986 or 1987) is an American attorney serving as White House Staff Secretary and Assistant to the President in the second Trump administration (January 20, 2025–present). He controls the flow of all documents, memos, and executive orders to and from the Oval Office — one of the most consequential gatekeeper roles in any White House. Scharf was previously one of Trump’s personal criminal defense attorneys, representing him in the New York hush money trial and the Florida classified documents case. In July 2025, he was simultaneously appointed Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the federal body responsible for overseeing construction projects in Washington, D.C. — including the controversial White House East Wing demolition project.

Current position: White House Staff Secretary / Assistant to the President (January 20, 2025–present) Secondary role: Chairman, National Capital Planning Commission (July 2025–present) Prior role: Personal criminal defense attorney for Donald Trump (2023–2025)

Background

Education:

• B.A., Princeton University
• J.D., Harvard Law School

Early career:

• Federal judicial clerkships following Harvard Law [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30; federal courts and dates not confirmed in available sources]
• Policy Director for Missouri Governor Eric Greitens
• Worked on Catherine Hanaway’s 2016 Republican gubernatorial campaign in Missouri

Trump legal defense (2023–2025): Scharf joined Trump’s personal legal team during Trump’s criminal prosecutions. He represented Trump in two major criminal proceedings:

1. New York hush money trial (People v. Trump): Scharf served as personal defense counsel. Trump was convicted on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May 2024. Scharf appeared frequently on cable news and wrote op-ed columns defending Trump’s legal position during and after the trial.
2. Florida classified documents case (United States v. Trump, S.D. Fla.): Scharf represented Trump in the federal prosecution brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The case was dismissed in July 2024 after U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled the special counsel’s appointment was unconstitutional.
3. Georgia election interference / federal election interference cases: Scharf was part of the broader Trump defense team monitoring multiple proceedings [NEEDS VERIFICATION — 2026-05-30; scope of involvement in these cases not fully confirmed in available sources].

2024 Missouri Attorney General race: Scharf ran for Missouri Attorney General in the Republican primary in 2024, losing to incumbent Andrew Bailey. His campaign included a television ad in which he appeared to use a grenade launcher to destroy boxes labeled to resemble Trump legal case documents — a move that drew national media attention.

Role in Trump Administration

Appointment: Trump announced Scharf as White House Staff Secretary in November 2024, describing him as “a highly skilled attorney who will be a crucial part of my White House team.” Trump cited Scharf’s service as personal criminal defense attorney and his earlier work during the first Trump administration helping secure Senate confirmation of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

White House Staff Secretary (January 20, 2025–present):

The Staff Secretary role is structurally among the most powerful White House staff positions despite its low public profile. Key functions:

• Document gatekeeper: Manages the intake, routing, and processing of every document, memo, and executive order that crosses the President’s desk
• “Air traffic control”: Tracks the drafting and approval of presidential communications as they move through the West Wing to the President’s signature
• Oval Office access: Listed among the small number of White House aides with walk-in privileges to the Oval Office
• Public tableau: Scharf became nationally visible standing beside Trump during executive order signing ceremonies, presenting leather-bound folders and providing narration at the President’s direction — earning the informal moniker “the folder guy”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated at the time of appointment: “Will Scharf is a brilliant legal mind who has extensive experience defending President Trump from the witch-hunts against him. Will is perfectly suited to help execute President Trump’s agenda in this important role.”

NCPC Chair appointment (July 2025–present):

In July 2025 — days before the White House announced plans for the $250 million White House State Ballroom project — Trump appointed Scharf to serve simultaneously as Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal body that oversees federal construction in Washington, D.C. Scharf holds both the Staff Secretary and NCPC Chair roles concurrently.

Documented Actions

1. White House East Wing demolition / NCPC jurisdiction dispute (October–December 2025)

After the White House announced the State Ballroom project, Scharf argued — in his capacity as NCPC Chairman — that the NCPC did not have jurisdiction to review the demolition of the White House East Wing, only subsequent construction. This legal interpretation allowed the East Wing demolition to proceed in October 2025 without the public review processes normally required by the NCPC and Commission of Fine Arts.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit, sent a letter to Scharf and other administration officials in October 2025 urging a pause on demolition until plans underwent “legally required public review processes.” The Trump administration did not comply.

At a December 2025 NCPC meeting, Scharf stated the ballroom plans would be submitted to the agency that month — after demolition was already complete.

Source: CNN Politics, December 12, 2025; Yahoo News; National Trust for Historic Preservation public letter.

2. Historic Preservation Lawsuit (December 2025)

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit in December 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, naming Trump, the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the General Services Administration as defendants. The suit sought to enjoin construction of the East Wing project, alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and failure to comply with required environmental and historic review processes. The case was assigned to District Judge Richard Leon (Bush appointee). A preliminary injunction halting construction was issued; the government appealed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Source: CNN Politics, December 12, 2025; U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, case no. (available via CourtListener/RECAP archive).

3. Pattern of rewarding Trump’s personal attorneys with government appointments

Scharf is among several Trump criminal defense attorneys appointed to senior government roles following the 2024 election:

• Todd Blanche (led hush money and classified documents defense) — appointed Deputy Attorney General
• Emil Bove (hush money defense) — appointed Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General
• Will Scharf (hush money and classified documents defense) — appointed White House Staff Secretary

Source: Boston Globe, January 24, 2025.

Accountability Concerns

1. Structural conflict of interest: dual roles as Staff Secretary and NCPC Chair

Scharf simultaneously controls information flow within the West Wing (Staff Secretary) and chairs the federal commission responsible for overseeing construction at the White House (NCPC). The $250 million White House State Ballroom is a project from which the sitting president stands to directly benefit — both in terms of White House legacy and, according to reporting, potentially through financial mechanisms. Scharf’s jurisdiction over NCPC review while also serving as a senior presidential aide presents a textbook structural conflict.

2. NCPC jurisdiction argument enabling demolition without required review

Scharf’s legal interpretation — that NCPC jurisdiction covers construction but not demolition — enabled the East Wing to be torn down before standard federal review processes could be applied. This interpretation has been contested by preservation advocates and is the subject of ongoing federal litigation. Whether it represents a good-faith legal position or a deliberate maneuver to circumvent oversight is a question courts are actively adjudicating.

3. Appointment timing relative to project announcement

Scharf was appointed NCPC Chair in July 2025, days before the White House formally announced the State Ballroom project on July 31, 2025. The sequencing — appointing a loyalist to the oversight body immediately before announcing a major project subject to that body’s review — has drawn criticism as an attempt to pre-position the administration’s preferred outcome.