Trump Appoints James McDonald as US Attorney for Southern District of New York

Jun 15, 2026

President Donald Trump will appoint James McDonald as the next U.S. Attorney for the powerful Southern District of New York, replacing Jay Clayton who was nominated for Director of National Intelligence. The appointment requires Senate confirmation. McDonald, a former federal prosecutor, previously served on Trump's legal team for the Stormy Daniels case, in which Trump was found guilty of falsifying documents.

McDonald appointment to SDNY

▪James McDonald is set to replace Jay Clayton as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
▪James McDonald's appointment to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
▪President Donald Trump announced on June 13, 2026, that he will appoint James McDonald as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

SDNY prosecutorial prominence

▪The U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York has historically maintained greater independence from the Justice Department than other U.S. Attorneys' offices.
▪The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is considered one of the most powerful prosecutors in the country.
▪The Southern District of New York office is known for prosecuting high-profile cases involving financial crime, terrorism, and public corruption.

McDonald legal background

▪James McDonald's previous roles include assistant U.S. Attorney and enforcement chief for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
▪James McDonald is an attorney at the Sullivan & Cromwell law firm, where his predecessor Jay Clayton also worked.

McDonald Trump legal team

▪In the Stormy Daniels case, a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty in 2024 of falsifying documents to hide a payment before the 2016 election.
▪James McDonald was a member of Donald Trump's legal team during the Stormy Daniels case.

Clayton nomination to DNI

▪Donald Trump nominated the outgoing SDNY attorney, Jay Clayton, to serve as the next director of national intelligence.
▪Jay Clayton's nomination for director of national intelligence follows the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard from that position.