London: News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch was in the room when former Tory minister Michael Gove moonlighted as a journalist for The Times of London to interview President Donald Trump in January, a new report from the FT claims.
The interview was the new US President's first with a British media outlet, and was lampooned as "gushy" in the UK press.
"Trump Tower embodies the operating style of the man himself - the showy front is both a facade and a diversion; his real route to the top has been kept carefully hidden," Mr Gove wrote in his exclusive.
"It was all boyish bonhomie and gushing sales talk... He even complimented me on my appearance, not just the first time anyone has ever said anything nice about my looks but also telling evidence for his many critics that he is either prepared to lie outrageously at the drop of a hat or has shockingly poor judgment."
Related Content
Mr Murdoch did not feature in Mr Gove's behind-the-scenes piece, article and transcript of the interview, which was accompanied by photographs inside Trump Tower.
Fairfax Media has contacted both Mr Gove and News Corp for comment.
The full transcript: @realDonaldTrump's interview with Michael Gove for The Times https://t.co/Bd9HsC5O2j pic.twitter.com/yl8NKAv9Qz
— The Times of London (@thetimes) January 16, 2017
Earlier this week, the FT revealed Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, was, until December, a trustee of Mr Murdoch's two young daughters, Grace and Chloe.
Mr Gove is a prominent figure in British politics. He was a cabinet minister in David Cameron's government but lost his frontbench position when Theresa May took the leadership.
A prominent campaigner for the Leave campaign, he launched his own leadership bid, to the shock of his then friend Boris Johnson who did not end up nominating for the job.
The MP for Surrey earns £150,000 a year ($246,431) for his weekly column for the influential broadsheet, according to his Register of Members' Interests.
Mr Gove attended Mr Murdoch's wedding to Jerry Hall at the historic St Bride's church in Fleet Street, in 2016.