Trump taps McDonald to lead SDNY, signaling a shift for Manhattan prosecutors

President Donald Trump named James McDonald, a former Manhattan prosecutor and close ally, the next U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, replacing Jay Clayton. McDonald’s nomination comes after months of speculation and comes with questions about whether he’ll be nominated by the Senate or installed as acting U.S. attorney. The move could relieve Manhattan prosecutors worried about an inexperienced Trump loyalist running the powerful office, and follows Clayton’s tenure that included cases like the Maduro drug-trafficking prosecution and various insider-trading prosecutions. McDonald previously worked at Sullivan & Cromwell and has been involved in Trump’s hush-money appeal.