President Donald Trump has announced his intent to nominate James M. McDonald as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most powerful federal prosecutor offices in the country.
The position is opening because Trump recently nominated current SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to serve as director of national intelligence. Clayton’s move would shift a former Wall Street regulator from a top prosecutorial role into one of the most sensitive national security positions in the federal government.
Trump announced McDonald’s selection on Truth Social, saying he was confident McDonald would deliver “strong results” and work well with law enforcement, the legal community and the federal bench.
McDonald is currently a senior partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the country’s most prominent law firms. He previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York and later became enforcement director at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump’s first term.
TRENDING TODAY
His legal résumé also includes a clerkship for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and work in the White House Counsel’s Office under President George W. Bush. McDonald graduated from Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law.
The SDNY post is closely watched because the office handles major Wall Street, public corruption, terrorism, organized crime, sanctions, cybercrime and national security cases. It is often described as one of the most independent and influential U.S. attorney offices in the country.
McDonald’s nomination also continues Trump’s pattern of placing trusted legal figures into key Justice Department and law-enforcement roles. AP reported that McDonald previously represented Trump in the appeal of his New York hush-money conviction, a detail that is likely to draw scrutiny from Democrats and legal ethics observers.
Supporters of McDonald are expected to point to his experience as a former SDNY prosecutor and CFTC enforcement chief. At the CFTC, McDonald oversaw market enforcement and financial misconduct cases, experience that could be relevant to SDNY’s Wall Street-heavy caseload.
Critics may focus on his ties to Trump, Sullivan & Cromwell and the broader question of whether politically connected lawyers should lead offices that may handle sensitive matters involving the president’s allies, opponents or business interests.
The nomination comes during a broader reshuffling of Trump’s legal and intelligence leadership. Clayton’s nomination to lead national intelligence followed controversy over Trump’s plan to install Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Democrats have objected to Pulte’s temporary role, arguing he lacks intelligence experience.
Clayton’s departure from SDNY created a vacancy at a crucial moment. During his time leading the office, the district handled high-profile prosecutions and national-security cases, including matters tied to foreign corruption, sanctions and organized crime.
If confirmed, McDonald would inherit an office with a long history of independence and national influence. The Southern District has often played an outsized role in federal law enforcement because of its jurisdiction over Manhattan, Wall Street, major media companies, global banks and international finance.
The Senate confirmation process could become contentious. Democrats may question McDonald about his prior work for Trump, his views on prosecutorial independence, and whether he would commit to keeping political pressure out of SDNY cases.
Republicans are likely to emphasize his credentials, including his prior SDNY service, his CFTC enforcement background and his Supreme Court clerkship.
The practical question is whether McDonald can maintain confidence in the office while serving under a president who has repeatedly criticized prosecutors, courts and law-enforcement agencies he believes targeted him unfairly.
For Trump, the pick gives him a seasoned lawyer with high-level enforcement experience and personal trust. For SDNY, it brings another leadership change at a time when the office remains central to federal investigations involving finance, crime and national security.
The nomination will now move toward Senate review unless Trump first uses an interim appointment process. Either way, McDonald’s selection is likely to receive close attention because of the power and symbolic weight of the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office.
Why It Matters
This matters because the Southern District of New York is one of the most powerful federal prosecutor offices in the country, with jurisdiction over major financial, terrorism, corruption and national security cases.
It also matters because McDonald’s prior legal work for Trump and his ties to Sullivan & Cromwell may become part of the confirmation debate, especially as Trump reshapes top Justice Department and intelligence posts.
What Comes Next
McDonald’s nomination is expected to move to the Senate, where lawmakers may question him about prosecutorial independence, his prior work for Trump and his enforcement priorities.
If confirmed, he would replace Jay Clayton, who has been nominated to serve as director of national intelligence.
Trump announced his intent to appoint James M. McDonald as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, citing McDonald’s past work as an SDNY prosecutor and CFTC enforcement director.
I am pleased to announce my intent to appoint James M. McDonald as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. A native of the Great State of Oklahoma, Jamie is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and served as Director of… pic.twitter.com/o8YNLD8kti
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) June 13, 2026
