Roger Yu

USA TODAY

Donald Trump has taken a step closer to starting his own cable TV network, the Financial Timesreported Monday.

The Republican presidential nominee’s interest in harnessing his political gains and populist appeal for a slice of the cable TV market has long been rumored. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been in contact with Aryeh Bourkoff, founder of investment bank LionTree, about starting a TV network if he's defeated in the presidential election in November, the FT reported.

LionTree wouldn't be interested in such a project, according to a person familiar with the situation, speaking anonymously because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

Bourkoff couldn’t be reached for comment. The Trump campaign couldn’t be reached for comment.

Kushner, who owns the New York Observer and is married to Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, held a "brief" conversation with Bourkoff in "the past couple of months" but it "has not progressed since," the report said, citing unnamed sources.

In June, Vanity Fair first reported about Trump's interest in expanding his media business beyond his current TV production business, Trump Productions, to launch a "mini-media conglomerate."

In September, Trump denied that he was interested in starting a new network. “I want to win the presidency," he toldThe Washington Post. "I have no interest in a media company. False rumor.”