President Donald Trump says he will appoint James M. McDonald to lead the U.S. federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Multiple outlets report the appointment is intended to fill a pending vacancy created when the current officeholder is tapped for another role—director of national intelligence. Trump makes the announcement publicly on Saturday, according to the reports.
The sources also describe McDonald’s background. He has served as an assistant U.S. attorney and as a CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) enforcement chief. Several outlets add that he is a partner at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and has worked in the White House Counsel’s office during the George W. Bush administration. At least one outlet notes he is part of the legal team handling Trump’s appeal of felony convictions tied to hush money payments.
Overall, the reporting agrees on the appointment’s purpose (filling the Manhattan prosecutor vacancy) and McDonald’s prior government and private-sector experience, while details beyond his career vary by outlet.
