Trump Denies Hunter Biden Probe Involvement, Finds It 'Very Sad to Watch!'

President Donald Trump has denied any involvement in an investigation of Hunter Biden, President-elect Joe Biden's son, following reports that he's pushed for a special counsel to look into Biden's taxes.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that the president was considering appointing a special counsel to probe the matter. Biden is under investigation for tax fraud but has said he believes he'll be cleared of wrongdoing.

Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to deny the reports but didn't make direct reference to the claims in the AP article. Instead, he suggested the story based on anonymous Republican sources was "fake news."

"I have NOTHING to do with the potential prosecution of Hunter Biden, or the Biden family," Trump wrote.

"It is just more Fake News. Actually, I find it very sad to watch!"

AP and The Wall Street Journal both reported Trump's interest in appointing a special counsel this week.

Citing White House sources and Republicans close to the president, the stories claimed the president is looking at special counsels to investigate Biden and unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, which Trump and some of his Republican allies have pushed since November 3.

Trump is reportedly unhappy with outgoing Attorney General William Barr for his handling of the Hunter Biden tax investigation. Barr knew about the matter but worked hard to prevent it from becoming public during the election campaign.

"A big disappointment!" Trump wrote of Barr on Saturday in response to a tweet from conservative columnist Todd Starnes. Responding to a story about Barr's knowledge of the investigation in The Wall Street Journal, Starnes had said if the report "is true and Attorney General Barr knew in the spring about the Biden investigation and kept it quiet —he should be fired by the end of business today."

Unsubstantiated accusations about Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings were a major part of Trump's reelection campaign, while Republicans in the Senate launched an investigation that found no evidence of wrongdoing on the Bidens' part.

Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, who will replace Barr as head of the Department of Justice following the latter's resignation, has not said whether he'll order a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden's taxes.

Rosen told Reuters on Wednesday the DOJ would continue to "do things on the merits and to do things on the basis of the law and the facts. That's how I thought about it from the beginning and that's how I'll think about it through the end."