Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has asked the judge hearing the case over classified documents stored at his Florida home to delay the trial, CNN and Reuters reported, citing Agerpres.

“Continuing a trial during a presidential election cycle in which the candidates are effectively (if not literally) direct adversaries in this action would create extraordinary challenges in the jury selection process and limit the defendants’ ability to secure a fair and impartial trial.” – wrote the ex-president’s lawyers in a request submitted to the court on Monday night.

The Ministry of Justice asked to set a court hearing for mid-December. Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon to adjourn until Dec. 11 from the original Aug. 14 date to give both sides more time to prepare.

But Trump’s defense team said the court should “withdraw the current trial order” and postpone consideration of a new trial date. They said that would give them a reasonable amount of time to prepare, and called the timetable demanded by the government “unrealistic”.

In a statement, Trump’s lawyers said the trial in December was untenable, given the logistical demands of their client’s presidential bid, the potentially large amount of evidence they may need to review and other matters related to the standoff.

Donald Trump’s lawyers cite an “extensive criminal prosecution” against the former president

“This extraordinary case poses a serious challenge to both the fact itself and the perception of our American democracy,” Trump’s defense team wrote in the request.

“The court now presides over a criminal prosecution brought by the administration of the sitting president against his main political opponent, who is himself a leading candidate for the presidency of the United States,” the lawyers said.

Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, pleaded not guilty in the case on June 13, and his aide Walt Nauta, a co-defendant, pleaded not guilty just last week due to procedural delays.

Trump is accused of illegally keeping classified national security documents after he left office in 2021 and lying to officials who tried to obtain them. In total, the prosecutor’s office brought 37 charges against him.