Trump names James McDonald as US attorney for New York’s Southern District

President Donald Trump said on Saturday he will appoint James McDonald to replace Jay Clayton as the U.S. Attorney ‌for the Southern District of New York.

James McDonald one of the most influential federal prosecutor's offices in the United States can potentionally become the next U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, after replacing Clayton, whom Trump recently nominated for another administration role.

Trump wrote on Truth Social, "I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as he has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, our Law Enforcement Patriots, the Legal Community, and the Judicial Bench."

McDonald, who would have to be confirmed by ‌the U.S. Senate to serve in the powerful prosecutorial role, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Thursday, Trump nominated Clayton to serve as the next director of national intelligence following the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard.

The Manhattan U.S. Attorney is considered one of the most powerful prosecutors in the country.

The office known for bringing high-profile financial crime, terrorism and public corruption cases, has historically enjoyed a greater degree of independence from the Justice Department than the other 92 U.S. Attorneys' offices around the United States.

Who is James McDonald?

McDonald was part of Trump's legal team for the Stormy Daniels case, in which a New York jury in 2024 found him guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence the porn star ahead of the 2016 election.

McDonald, whose previous roles include assistant U.S. Attorney and Commodity Futures Trading Commission enforcement chief, is an attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell law firm, where Clayton also worked before taking over SDNY last year.

President Trump said Saturday that he would appoint one of his personal lawyers, James McDonald, as Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, putting the Sullivan & Cromwell partner in charge of an office with jurisdiction over Wall Street and a reputation for pursuing prominent white-collar crime cases.