President Trump announced on Saturday that he will nominate James M. McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most influential federal prosecutor positions in the country. McDonald, a partner at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, replaces Jay Clayton, whom Trump named this week as his pick for director of national intelligence.
McDonald brings significant prosecutorial and regulatory experience to the role. He previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, the office he would now lead, and spent three years as director of enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump’s first term. He also worked as deputy associate counsel in the White House under President George W. Bush.
As a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, McDonald co-heads the firm’s securities and commodities investigations practice. He is currently part of the legal team handling Trump’s pending appeal of felony convictions in New York related to hush money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. McDonald was also involved in the Trump administration’s Justice Department decision last month to drop a fraud and conspiracy case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.
The Southern District of New York is considered the most prestigious of the Justice Department’s 93 U.S. attorney offices, with oversight of cases ranging from terrorism and espionage to securities fraud and public corruption. Trump’s appointment of McDonald continues a pattern of placing his personal attorneys in senior government positions. According to Politico, at least 10 of Trump’s former lawyers have landed jobs in his administration or been nominated to the federal bench as of May 2026.
McDonald’s nomination came as Trump shifted the intelligence director position. On Thursday, Trump nominated Clayton to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her resignation last month. Trump had faced intense pushback over his decision to name Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director.
Nicholas Biase, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, said the office “welcomes the President’s choice to lead the SDNY. Mr. McDonald is widely respected.” Trump posted on Truth Social: “I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country.”
Sources
- PBS News — Trump’s announcement of McDonald’s nomination, his background as former federal prosecutor and CFTC director, and his role on Trump’s defense team
- The Washington Post — McDonald’s role as former defense team member and successor to Jay Clayton
- Reuters — Confirmation that McDonald replaces Jay Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
- Politico — Pattern of Trump appointing personal lawyers to high-profile positions, with at least 10 former lawyers in administration or nominated to federal bench
- NBC News — Trump’s statement about holding up Jay Clayton’s DNI hearing until McDonald is approved as U.S. Attorney
