Trump urges Barr to investigate Hunter Biden's overseas deals before Election Day

"He's got to act, and he's got to act fast," the president said Tuesday about Attorney General William Barr.

Published: October 20, 2020 9:50am

Updated: October 20, 2020 4:49pm

President Trump on Tuesday morning urged Attorney General William Barr to immediately investigate the Ukraine overseas business deals of Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, following a news report that suggests the younger Biden had successfully arranged a meeting with his father for a top executive at the Ukraine energy company.

The Biden campaign has disputed the New York Post story and said no such meeting appears on Biden's official schedule from the time in question.

"We have got to get the attorney general to act," Trump said on Fox News, roughly two weeks before Election Day. "He’s got to act, and he's got to act fast."

The president called on Barr to "appoint somebody" to investigate, a move likely intended to try to defend against expected accusations that the findings would be politically motivated.

"This is major corruption, and this has to be known about before the election," Trump said.

A New York Post story last week highlighted recently discovered emails, purportedly from a laptop and hard drive left by Hunter Biden at a computer repair shop, that suggest that in 2015 he arranged a meeting with his father for an executive from Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian energy company long enveloped by corruption allegations.

The younger Biden served on Burisma's board while his father was the Obama administration point man for Ukraine. Former Vice President Biden has repeatedly denied any knowledge of his son's business dealings in the country.