President Donald Trump announces he intends to nominate James M. McDonald to serve as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). Multiple outlets report the selection comes as a replacement for Jay Clayton, whose name had been put forward for a different federal role—specifically director of national intelligence. ABC News adds that McDonald has prior experience in the commodities regulatory sector and has worked as an attorney for Trump personally, based on descriptions of his background. The Hill reports Trump makes the announcement in a post on Truth Social, which ends speculation about who might lead SDNY. Fox News and The Hill both characterize the change as following Clayton’s departure or departure from the SDNY role, tied to Clayton’s nomination for the intelligence post. Free Malaysia Today similarly states that McDonald is set to replace Clayton after Clayton’s nomination for director of national intelligence. Across coverage, the common points are that McDonald is the intended SDNY nominee, Clayton is the outgoing SDNY figure, and Trump’s announcement is made publicly ahead of the formal nomination process.