Trump Appoints James M. Mcdonald as NYC Federal Prosecutor
WHO:
ABC News - McDonald has also served as director of enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump's first term in office.
ABC News - McDonald was also deputy associate counsel in the White House under George W. Bush.
ABC News - President Trump announced his intent to nominate James M. McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
ABC News - Jay Clayton is the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
ABC News - James M. McDonald is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York and a litigation partner at Sullivan & Cromwell law firm.
ABC News - McDonald was a personal attorney to Trump.
ABC News - Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation as ODNI director.
WHAT:
ABC News - McDonald was part of the legal team that last month secured a favorable outcome for Indian billionaire Gautam Adani when the Trump administration Justice Department dropped a fraud and conspiracy case that had been brought under the Biden administration.
ABC News - Trump stated, “I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country” regarding McDonald's nomination.
ABC News - Trump nominated McDonald to replace Jay Clayton as U.S. Attorney.
ABC News - McDonald was involved in handling the appeal of Trump's Manhattan hush money conviction, which includes 34 felony counts for concealing a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
ABC News - If confirmed, McDonald would oversee the Southern District of New York, which handles cases related to terrorism, espionage, security fraud, and public corruption.
ABC News - McDonald was part of the legal team that secured a favorable outcome for Gautam Adani when the Justice Department dropped a fraud and conspiracy case.
WHERE:
ABC News - The Southern District of New York is the location for the U.S. Attorney's office that McDonald would lead.
WHEN:
ABC News - Trump announced the nomination on a Saturday.
WHY:
ABC News - Clayton's nomination came as pressure increased from Congress to name a permanent replacement for Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her resignation as ODNI director last month.
ABC News - The nomination of McDonald comes as pressure increased from Congress to name a permanent replacement for the ODNI director.
HOW:
ABC News - Trump made the announcement on the Truth Social platform, Saturday afternoon.
ABC News - Trump made the announcement on the Truth Social platform.
(UPDATED June 13, 2026 23:17 UTC)
Trump has announced the nomination of Jamie McDonald to serve as the new director of national intelligence, following increased pressure from Congress to fill the vacancy left by Tulsi Gabbard's recent resignation. McDonald, who previously served as director of enforcement at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Trump's first term and was also deputy associate counsel under George W. Bush, was part of the legal team that recently secured a favorable outcome for Indian billionaire Gautam Adani. Trump expressed confidence in McDonald’s abilities, stating, “I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country,” when he made the announcement on Truth Social.
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(UPDATED June 13, 2026 21:18 UTC)
President Trump has announced his intent to nominate James M. McDonald as the new U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, aiming to replace Jay Clayton. McDonald, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and litigation partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, has previously worked as Trump's personal attorney and was involved in handling the appeal of Trump's Manhattan hush money conviction. This nomination comes amid increasing pressure from Congress to appoint a permanent replacement for the ODNI director, following Tulsi Gabbard's resignation from that position.