President Trump has named James McDonald, one of his personal lawyers, to lead the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office, tapping a Sullivan & Cromwell partner who has been handling the president’s appeal of his criminal conviction. Announced on June 13, 2026, the nomination marks Trump’s selection of McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most influential positions in the Justice Department, replacing Jay Clayton, whom Trump nominated as director of national intelligence.
McDonald brings a distinctive background that spans both prosecution and private practice. A former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, he investigated and prosecuted white-collar criminal offenses, international narcotics trafficking, and violent crime before moving into the private sector. He also served as Director of Enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump’s first term, where he led the agency’s enforcement division for nearly four years.
More recently, McDonald has worked as a litigation partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, where he co-heads the firm’s Securities & Commodities Investigations Practice. In that capacity, he joined Trump’s legal team to handle the appeal of Trump’s 2024 felony convictions in New York related to hush money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. According to the Justice Department announcement, McDonald also was part of the legal team that secured a favorable outcome for Indian billionaire Gautam Adani when the Trump administration Justice Department dropped a fraud and conspiracy case that had been brought under the Biden administration.
The Southern District of New York is considered one of the most prestigious and powerful prosecutorial offices in the country, overseeing a vast portfolio ranging from terrorism and espionage cases to securities fraud and public corruption. The office has been a focal point of Trump’s attention, as it previously prosecuted cases related to his organization and business practices.
McDonald’s appointment takes effect as a transition arrangement. On July 8, 2026, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton announced that McDonald would rejoin the office as Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to oversee the transition while Clayton focuses on his Senate confirmation process for the director of national intelligence position. According to Clayton’s statement, McDonald will supervise the work and operations of the office during this period, with the executive leadership team of Sean Buckley, Amanda Houle, Jeff Oestericher, and Karl Metzner continuing to lead the office’s substantive work.
McDonald’s selection continues Trump’s pattern of appointing loyalists and personal attorneys to significant government positions. His nomination requires Senate confirmation, though the transition arrangement allows him to begin leading the office’s operations before that process concludes. The move underscores Trump’s confidence in McDonald’s prosecutorial experience and his role in defending the president’s legal interests.
Sources
- PBS News — Trump’s announcement on June 13, 2026 that he would appoint McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, McDonald’s background as a former federal prosecutor and CFTC director, and his role on Trump’s legal team.
- Department of Justice — Official announcement on July 8, 2026 that McDonald was appointed Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and details of his prior experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, CFTC enforcement director, and White House counsel’s office deputy associate counsel.
- Reuters — Confirmation that McDonald would replace Jay Clayton as U.S. Attorney and details about the Southern District of New York being one of the most powerful prosecutor offices in the country.
- The Washington Post — Information about McDonald being a former federal prosecutor and his role on Trump’s criminal defense team handling his appeal.
- Sullivan & Cromwell — McDonald’s background as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York investigating white-collar offenses, narcotics trafficking, and violent crime before joining the CFTC in 2017.
