Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd did him “a big favor” by featuring him in a recent column.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Trump described Dowd as a “great person” who has “written a lot about me over the years.” He added that Dowd “understands that I adore women.”

Dowd featured Trump in her August 8 and August 15 columns, as well as an online article detailing the candidate's thoughts on a variety of topics, from Iraq to Bill Clinton.

On August 8, Dowd described Trump as “the gleefully offensive and immensely entertaining high-chair king in the Great American Food Fight.” She also wrote, “I enjoy Trump's hyperbolic, un-P.C. flights because there are too few operatic characters in the world.”

In her August 15 column, an interview with Trump, she wrote, “The billionaire braggart known for saying unfiltered things is trying to be diplomatic. Sort of.”

Trump also gave The Hollywood Reporter his thoughts on other media figures.

Trump said he and Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch “have been friendly,” noting that “he had some very evil tweets, and now they've been nice lately.”

Trump still apparently has issues with Megyn Kelly's debate question about his past sexist comments, noting, “I don't understand how [Fox News chairman and CEO] Roger [Ailes] could have allowed that first question to be asked.”

He said Ailes “is certainly very impressed with my poll numbers” and that “when he looked at the ratings, what happened to the ratings at Fox, I think that makes him think about it even from a financial standpoint.” Trump described his relationship with Ailes as “great,” claiming he had lunch with him “three weeks ago.”

Earlier reports have claimed tension within Fox, with Murdoch opposed to many elements of Trump's candidacy, while Ailes continues to feature Trump more than any other presidential candidate.

Trump called Internet gossipmonger Matt Drudge a “legend” and “an amazing guy” who has “been so fair to me.”