WASHINGTON, Oct.18 (Xinhua) -- The White House announced Thursday that attorney Emmet Flood will temporarily serve as White House counsel before another attorney, Pat Cipollone, officially comes on board in that role.

"Mr. Flood will serve in the role until Pat Cipollone comes on board as Counsel to the President, at which time Mr. Flood will return to being Special Counsel to the President," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

The replacement came after Don McGahn, who has worked at the White House for two years and has been a key figure in pushing through the confirmation of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, departed his post.

Trump said earlier that McGahn would leave the White House after Kavanaugh's confirmation and that commercial lawyer Pat Cipollone will be McGahn's replacement.

With the midterm elections weeks away, Congress Republicans are facing tough challenges from the Democratic party, which hopes to capture majority in the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.

Should the Democratic party succeed, they are likely to challenge the White House on an array of legal issues, putting pressure on the incoming Cipollone.