A federal judge on Tuesday said former President Donald Trump’s trial on charges of unlawfully keeping government documents should begin on Aug. 14 in Fort Pierce, Florida.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, set the date in a formal order that also directs attorneys to file pre-trial motions by July 24.

It is unclear if the historic case will make it to trial by the August date, given the number of pre-trial motions and decisions that will have to be resolved as Mr. Trump becomes the first U.S. president to grapple with federal charges.

The order says the trial will commence on Aug. 14 or “as soon thereafter as the case may be called.”

Mr. Trump faces more than 30 criminal counts in a federal indictment that was handed up this month by a grand jury in Miami. It alleges that he unlawfully stored classified documents related to nuclear and military secrets, among other papers, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructed efforts to return them to the National Archives. He pleaded not guilty in his arraignment.

The former president is steeped in a contentious GOP primary for the 2024 presidential nomination. An August trial would come well before voters head to the polls in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early primary states next year but would be a distraction from the campaign trail.

Mr. Trump says the case is a witch hunt designed to thwart his political ambitions and argues his declassification as president entitled him to the documents.

In an interview Monday, Mr. Trump said he was slow to hand over materials requested by the National Archives because he was busy and needed to sort through his boxes.

“Before I send boxes over, I have to take all of my things out,” Mr. Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier. “These boxes were interspersed with all sorts of things, golf shirts, clothing, pants shoes, there were many things.”

• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.