Donald Trump has "made peace" with News Corporation head Rupert Murdoch — and the conservative media mogul has hinted that he would back the presumptive Republican nominee in the general election against Hillary Clinton.
The development resulted from at least two private meetings this spring between Trump and Murdoch,
New York magazine columnist Gabe Sherman said Tuesday, citing information from a half-dozen sources.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law who owns The New York Observer, also called Murdoch, Sherman said.
The thaw between the two is most evidenced by Trump's interview with Megyn Kelly for her prime-time special on the Fox network Tuesday — especially since the media mogul told Kelly to badger Trump during the first Republican debate in Cleveland.
"Rupert told her to do that," one source told Sherman.
Murdoch owns Fox, Fox News Network, The Wall Street Journal and other media properties.
The mogul, the sources told Sherman, considers Trump "a winner whom the 'elites' failed to take seriously.
"He doesn't like people to be snobs and treat Trump like a clown," the source said.
Murdoch also saw Trump as the best option among the three remaining Republican candidates.
"He never liked Cruz," the source told Sherman, referring to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
John Kasich "made a personal pitch to Murdoch that he could win on a second ballot at the convention, but failed to persuade," Sherman said.
In March, Murdoch said on Twitter that the GOP would
"be mad not to unify" behind Trump.
Representatives for Trump and Murdoch did not respond to requests for comment, according to Sherman.