A federal judge ended a hearing Thursday afternoon, but stopped short of issuing a decision on whether to dismiss charges against the former president in connection with the classified documents case filed by the Justice Department.

Judge Aileen Cannon said she would take motions by Trump's lawyers "under advisement" and would rule on them "promptly."

Shehad repeatedly questioned Donald Trump's lawyers Thursday morning about whether their arguments were premature, CNN reported.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to a 40-count indictment.  It accused him of retaining sensitive national security documents and obstructing U.S. government efforts to retrieve them  - only returning a fraction of them upon demand by the National Archives.

Trump was in court as his lawyers argued the he had the right to keep the records he took from the White House and stored in Florida.

The defense centers on the Presidential Records Act. Trump's lawyers say it gives him the authority to designate the documents as personal and keep them, the Associated Press reported.

Cannon suggested that it is not clear that the documents were allowed to be designated as personal.

The judge asked Prosecutor Jay Bratt the challenge was "premature."

"Not only is it premature, it never happened," Bratt said.

The judge also asked questions about the differences between the Trump and Biden document investigations.  Biden's ended without charges being filed.

Bratt said the circumstances around Trump were unique.

The hearing comes a day after the man who has been referred to as "Trump Employee 5" in the indictment went on the record about moving documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort amid the investigation.

Once anonymous, Brian Butler is now speaking up and believes voters should hear the truth about his former employer before the November election.

During an interview on CNN, Butler revealed that he does not believe Trump's claims that the criminal case against him is a "witch hunt," as Trump has repeatedly claimed.

Butler gave testimony last year to federal investigators that laid out portions of the criminal obstruction charges filed against Trump and two co-defendants.

The federal case is just one of several legal issues Trump faces as he locks up the Republican nomination for the presidential election rematch against President Biden.