▁Cl inton ▁to ▁Trump ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁G ove ' s ▁interview ▁and ▁consequ ent ▁defence ▁of ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁seen ▁by ▁some ▁as ▁pra ising ▁the ▁President - elect ▁und uly , ▁and ▁a ▁photograph ▁of ▁G ove ▁giving ▁a ▁" th umb s - up " ▁to ▁Trump ▁was ▁widely ▁mock ed ▁on ▁social ▁media . ▁ ▁Har vey ▁Wein stein ▁jo ke ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁G ove ▁issued ▁an ▁ap ology ▁for ▁a ▁jo ke ▁which ▁compared ▁going ▁on ▁the ▁Today ▁programme ▁to ▁a ▁sexual ▁encounter ▁with ▁Har vey ▁Wein stein . ▁He ▁was ▁critic ised ▁by ▁MP s ▁of ▁all ▁parties ▁who ▁felt ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁were ▁not ▁a ▁suitable ▁subject ▁for ▁j okes . ▁ ▁C oca ine ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁reports ▁emer ged ▁that ▁G ove ▁had ▁taken ▁c oca ine ▁as ▁a ▁journalist ▁in ▁his ▁tw ent ies . ▁G ove ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁reg rett ed ▁having ▁done ▁so , ▁and ▁regarded ▁it ▁as ▁having ▁been ▁a ▁mistake . ▁In ▁an ▁article ▁for ▁The ▁Times ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁G ove ▁argued ▁against ▁the ▁legal isation ▁of ▁dru gs , ▁critic ising ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁middle ▁classes ▁for ▁their ▁hyp oc ris y ▁in ▁doing ▁so . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁key ▁component ▁of ▁his ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁bid ▁to ▁be ▁Le ader ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party . ▁In ▁reaction ,