WASHINGTON, Dec 24 — A U.S. judge yesterday delayed a trial for the suspect in the second assassination attempt of President-elect Donald Trump until September 2025, according to a court order.

Lawyers for the suspect, Ryan Routh, sought a delay of the scheduled Feb. 10 trial date, citing the large volume of evidence in the case.

Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon agreed to a delay, but called the defence request for a postponement until December 2025 "excessive.” Cannon scheduled the case to go before a jury beginning Sept. 8, 2025.

Routh, 58, is facing five federal charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. He is accused of positioning himself with a gun near a Trump-owned golf course in Florida in September with the intention of shooting Trump during the presidential campaign.

Routh has pleaded not guilty.

Cannon, who is overseeing the case, is the same judge who presided over the now-dismissed criminal case accusing Trump of illegally holding onto classified documents following his first term. — Reuters