Trump picks James McDonald to lead powerful Southern District of New York after Jay Clayton's departure

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his intent to appoint James M. McDonald as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY).

The high-profile position is opening up following Trump's recent nomination of the district's current U.S. attorney, Jay Clayton, to serve in his cabinet as the nation's new director of national intelligence.

"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," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing the pick.

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McDonald, an Oklahoma native, previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the SDNY and worked during Trump's first term as the director of enforcement at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Like his predecessor Clayton, McDonald has strong ties to the prominent law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he currently serves as a senior partner.

His legal background also includes clerking for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and graduating from Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law.