Trump calls for the lawsuit in Florida to be dropped

Donald Trump traveled to a Florida courthouse on Thursday to attend his lawyer's request to dismiss charges against him over his informal handling of classified documents upon leaving the White House. Judge Eileen Cannon, who is in charge of the case, is holding a day-long hearing in a North Miami court to hear motions to dismiss filed by the 77-year-old billionaire's lawyers.

The Republican presidential candidate in November was accused of endangering national security by keeping secret documents and pleaded not guilty in June.

Some of these documents include: “extremely confidential”: Military plans or even information about nuclear weapons. It was kept after he left the White House in January 2021 at his private residence, Mar-a-Lago in Florida, instead of being turned over to the National Archives as required by law.

Trump could order a halt to the trial if he is re-elected

He is also charged with attempting to destroy evidence in the case, for which he faces a total of 41 charges. According to his lawyer, Donald Trump had the right to retain these documents under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act, and the judge should dismiss the indictment against him.

But Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, who filed the indictment against the former president, rejected that argument in a court document. Donald “Trump was not allowed to have secret documents at all (not to mention unsecured places at Mar-a-Lago).”said Jack Smith.

The trial, which was scheduled for May 20, will likely be postponed for several months, as Judge Cannon wants a timeline spaced out enough to allow for a trial. “Flexibility”Especially because it may overlap with other criminal proceedings against the former president. Donald Trump's lawyers argue so“A fair trial cannot be held before the end of the 2024 presidential elections.”. If elected again, Donald Trump, once inaugurated in January 2025, could order the federal proceedings against him to end.