A U.S. federal judge has scheduled the trial for ex-President Donald Trump in the matter of his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

According to BBC News, Judge Aileen Cannon has set the case for May 20th 2024 in the Fort Pierce, Florida district.

Mr Trump wanted the trial to be  postponed until after the November 2024 presidential election, however it will now begin with the election campaign in full swing.

The 77-year-old former president faces serious charges over the storage of sensitive files at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Prosecutors say he illegally kept secret documents at the location after he left office and obstructed government efforts to retrieve them.