President Trump appoints new White House counsel – both temporary and permanent

David Jackson | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – A day after the departure of White House Counsel Don McGahn, President Donald Trump on Thursday formally appointed both a temporary and permanent replacement.

Emmet Flood, who has been special counsel with a focus on the Russia investigation, will serve as the top White House lawyer until Pat Cipollone can take the job full time, officials said. Flood would then return to the special counsel post.

Cipollone, a veteran Washington lawyer who worked in the Justice Department for President George H.W. Bush, is waiting for his background check to clear.

"President Trump has a great deal of respect for both individuals and is glad to have them on his team," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

More: Don McGahn has officially left his position as White House counsel, official says

Both lawyers may be busy in the months ahead.

Democrats have vowed to press forward with any number of investigations into the White House should they win control of Congress in the midterm elections. That would involve document requests and subpoenas that White House lawyers would have to handle.

In addition, many administration officials believe special counsel Robert Mueller will soon deliver a report on Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election by hacking Democrats and pushing fake news. The White House legal team may be called upon to respond to whatever Mueller does.

Trump has denied colluding with the Russians during the election and further claims that he sought to obstruct the subsequent investigation. The president has described the probe as a "witch hunt" waged by political opponents.

During his stint as White House counsel, McGahn helped win Senate confirmation of scores of conservative judges, including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

McGahn has also told associates that he prevented Trump from firing Mueller and Attorney General Jeff Sessions over his complaints about the Russia investigation.

McGahn is also a witness in Mueller's investigation, having spent hours speaking with members of the special counsel's staff.