Trump changes White House counsel pick, tapping David Warrington

President-elect Trump on Wednesday announced a change in his choice to serve as White House counsel in his upcoming administration, tapping his top campaign lawyer, David Warrington, for the job.

Trump in a statement said Warrington would serve as the top attorney in the White House and as assistant to the president.

"Dave has represented me well as my personal attorney, and as General Counsel for my Presidential Campaign," Trump said in a statement.

Trump in mid-November had announced William McGinley, a lawyer who worked in the president-elect’s first administration, would serve as White House counsel. But on Wednesday, Trump said McGinley would take a different role, serving as counsel to the "Department of Government Efficiency," an effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to cut government spending and regulations.

"Bill will play a crucial role in liberating our Economy from burdensome Regulations, excess spending, and Government waste," Trump said in a statement. "He will partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to provide advice and guidance to end the bloated Federal Bureaucracy."

It was not immediately clear why Trump made the change. The New York Times reported that McGinley was backed by Boris Epshteyn, an influential adviser to Trump who has come under scrutiny amid accusations he sought to profit off of his proximity to Trump.

In Trump’s last administration, Don McGahn and Pat Cipollone held the role of White House counsel. Cipollone represented Trump during his first impeachment trial and reportedly attempted to sway the former president to concede after losing the 2020 presidential election, insisting there was no evidence of widespread fraud, as Trump had claimed.