NEW YORK/WASHINGTON — Donald Trump's sentencing for his conviction on criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star was delayed on Tuesday until Sept 18, less than seven weeks before the US election.

Justice Juan Merchan pushed back the sentencing date so he can weigh the former US president's argument he should have been immune from prosecution under Monday's landmark Supreme Court ruling that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for official acts.

The new timeline means Merchan could decide the Republican presidential candidate's punishment, including whether to jail him, in the thick of the campaign season before the Nov 5 election.

The sentencing had previously been set for July 11, just days before the July 15 kickoff of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Trump faces an uphill battle getting the hush money conviction overturned, since much of the conduct at issue in the case predated his time in office.

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