A federal judge in the case of former President Donald Trump has ruled that his trial for mishandling classified documents will proceed as planned in May 2024, rejecting Trump’s repeated attempts to delay the trial until after the November 2024 presidential elections. Judge Aileen Cannon has been sympathetic to Trump’s concerns about his and his lawyers’ schedule, but has resisted any further extensions of time. There is substantial evidence, including known witnesses and audio evidence, about how casually Trump treated national security information after his presidency, raising many questions.
Leading up to the trial, Cannon has moved some deadlines, particularly related to the use of classified material in the case, but has left herself the option to revisit other deadlines, including the trial date, in early March. Trump’s legal team has faced challenges in preparing for trial due to the high volume of unclassified and classified evidence in the case. They have also faced complexities in working through the evidence, which may require them to revisit the possibility of moving the trial date. Overall, the judge understands the challenges that Trump’s team has faced with the court deadlines, but is determined to move forward with the trial as scheduled in May 2024.