Donald Trump blasts attorney general Bill Barr over Hunter Biden tax investigation

President reportedly furious that probe was kept quiet during election campaign

Donald Trump has blasted his attorney general Bill Barr as a “big disappointment” over the Hunter Biden tax probe.

Mr Barr was aware of  a federal investigation into the president-elect’s son for a year but worked to keep it quiet during the election, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Mr Trump made Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings a central theme of his re-election campaign in an effort to tarnish his White House opponent’s reputation.

And the outgoing president now appears furious that Mr Barr did not politicise the investigation and allow Mr Trump to use it to his advantage.

Mr Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to take a shot at Mr Barr.

He was responding to a tweet from a supporter who wrote that if Mr Barr had “kept it quiet” then he “should be fired by the end of business today.”

“A big disappointment!” replied Mr Trump to a tweet from conservative radio host Todd Starnes.

And Mr Trump went on to allege that once in the White House Mr Biden would make sure the investigation into his son was dropped.

“Why didn’t Bill Barr reveal the truth to the public, before the Election, about Hunter Biden. Joe was lying on the debate stage that nothing was wrong, or going on - Press confirmed. Big disadvantage for Republicans at the polls!” he tweeted.

“IF Biden gets in, nothing will happen to Hunter or Joe,” added Mr Trump.

“Barr will do nothing, and the new group of partisan killers coming in will quickly kill it all. Same thing with Durham.

“We caught them cold, spying, treason & more (the hard part), but “Justice” took too long. Will be DOA!”

Mr Trump has refused to concede his election defeat to Mr Biden and on Friday, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected taking a controversial election case filed by the Texas attorney general.

Ken Paxton had wanted the country’s highest court to overturn the election results in four main battleground states that had helped secure Mr Biden his win.

Observers have said that in rejecting the case the Supreme Court killed off Mr Trump’s last hope of defeating Mr Biden in the courtroom after losing at the ballot box.

But it does not seem to have dented Mr Trump’s confidence.

“WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT!!!” the president tweeted after his attack on Mr Barr.

Mr Trump has alleged widespread election fraud - in the states he did not win - but the final results in the battleground states have all now been certified by officials.

His legal team have suffered an overwhelming string of defeats in courtrooms across the country in their attempt to keep Mr Trump in power.

And they have failed to provide judges with any evidence of ballot rigging.