Trump Announces Interim US Attorney for Manhattan

The president announced that Jay Clayton would serve as interim U.S. attorney while discussions with the Senate to confirm him to the role continue.

Jay Clayton, former chairman of the SEC, speaks during 13D Monitor's Active-Passive Investor Summit in New York City on Oct. 22, 2024. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

President Donald Trump has announced that Jay Clayton will serve as interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York—which includes parts of New York City—as the nominee faces roadblocks in the Senate.

“During my First Term, Jay served with great distinction as the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and earned the respect of everyone,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

In the role, Clayton will be the chief law enforcement officer for the federal government in the assigned district. Because it includes the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, the prosecutor’s office for the Southern District of New York is commonly considered the country’s most influential because of the high-profile cases it handles.

Some of the district’s recent high-profile cases include Luigi Mangione, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump announced Clayton’s appointment in an interim capacity after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on April 16 moved to block all U.S. attorney nominees for New York, including both Clayton and Trump’s nominee for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella Jr.

“I am blocking the Senate from moving forward on the US Attorney nominees for the Southern and Eastern Districts of NY,” Schumer wrote in a post on social media platform X. “Trump has made clear he intends to use the DOJ, US Attorney offices, and law enforcement as weapons to go after his perceived enemies. Such blatant political motivations are deeply corrosive to the rule of law.”

Technically, Schumer, who represents New York, is within his rights as a senator to block the nominees. Under longstanding Senate custom extending all the way back to President George Washington’s administration, any senator may block the confirmation of certain nominees specifically related to their home state.

While it’s not a hard and fast rule, it’s one that’s generally been respected in the upper chamber. That said, both parties have been willing to ignore the rule in the past, particularly in recent decades, and that may occur in this case.

Trump criticized Schumer’s move, citing the bipartisan support that Clayton had received for the job and noting that he had been through the process.

“The Southern District leads the Department of Justice’s oversight over our Financial Markets, and fights for the safety of Millions of New Yorkers and the over 60 Million people who visit New York annually,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Southern District needs strong leadership NOW, and I thank Jay for taking on this role while we continue to pursue his Senate confirmation.”

It’s unclear how Republicans will react to Schumer’s hold. It would be up to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to determine whether or not to move forward with the process to confirm Clayton.

Arjun Singh contributed to this report.