Judge sets trial date for classified documents trial against Trump for May 2024

District Judge Aileen Cannon announced Friday that the trial for classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, the residence of former President Donald Trump, will begin in May of 2024. It could start as early as May 20.

Thus, the court proceeding will coincide with the race for the GOP nomination. Trump's legal team had tried postponing it until after the election, arguing that not doing so would hinder both the electoral course and the legal process.

This “defeat” for Trump is not seen, however, as a victory for special prosecutor Jack Smith's team, which wanted to put Trump on the stand in December of this year.

Trump pleaded not guilty

The goal of Trump's lawyers is clear: to prove his innocence. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 37 charges brought against him by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The DOJ claims that the former president kept high-level classified material after leaving office, shared it with those who did not have clearance, and then tried to impede the authorities' attempts to retrieve it.