Trump announces James McDonald as nominee for U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York

President Donald Trump announced on June 13, 2026, his intention to appoint James M. McDonald as the next U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). This position is becoming available following Trump's nomination of the current U.S. Attorney, Jay Clayton, to serve as the director of national intelligence. In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed confidence in McDonald’s ability to work effectively with law enforcement and the legal community. McDonald, originally from Oklahoma, has previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the SDNY and was the director of enforcement at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump's first term. He is currently a senior partner at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and has a legal background that includes clerking for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. He graduated from Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law.