US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has said Attorney General Bill Barr, who contradicted his claims that the 3 November election was marred by fraud, would leave office after doing an “outstanding job”.

“Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr at the White House,” Trump tweeted.

“Our relationship has been a very good one… Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family.”

The president has publicly expressed his anger about Barr’s statement to the Associated Press earlier this month, that the Justice Department had found no widespread election fraud that would change the outcome of the election.

Trump has also been angry that the Justice Department did not publicly announce it was investigating Joe Biden’s son Hunter ahead of the election, despite department policy against such a pronouncement.

In his resignation letter, Barr said he had today updated Trump on the department’s “review of voter fraud allegations in the 2020 election and how these allegations will continue to be pursued”.

He added that his last day in the job will be 23 December.

Barr’s letter to Trump also complimented the outgoing US President, saying he had achieved “many successes and unprecedented achievements” during his tenure.

“Few could have weathered these attacks, much less forge ahead with a positive program for the country. You built teh strongest and most resilient economy in American history,” he wrote.

Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen will become the Acting Attorney General, and Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of the Deputy Attorney General, Trump said. 

With reporting from the Press Association