President Donald Trump said Friday that Patriots owner Bob Kraft called to thank him for the tax bill, and that Kraft is building "a tremendous paper mill" in North Carolina.

"A friend of mine, Bob Kraft, called me last night he said this tax bill is incredible," Trump said, via the Boston Globe. "He owns the New England Patriots, but he's in the paper business and he said based on this tax bill he just wanted to let me know that he's going to buy a big plant in the great state of North Carolina and he's going to build a tremendous paper mill there or paper products plant."

Trump scored the first legislative victory of his administration when he signed the tax bill days after it quickly made its way through the House and Senate. The bill has been criticized for disproportionately cutting taxes for corporations while lower and middle-class families will see modest tax cuts, or in some cases tax increases.

A short time after Trump's remarks, the Kraft Group issued a statement noting that "Mr. Kraft has long been an advocate for tax reform that would be a catalyst for economic growth and job creation," and that Kraft had a private conversation with the president "to express his support for the tax bill." Additionally, the statement indicates that Kraft's "personal taxes will be increasing," though there is no mention on the impact the tax bill will have on Kraft's businesses.

Kraft, who is a close friend to Trump and donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration celebration, had previously condemned the president's remarks about firing players who knelt during the anthem.

"I am deeply disappointed by the tone of the comments made by the President on Friday," Kraft said in the Sept. 24 statement. "I am proud to be associated with so many players who make such tremendous contributions in positively impacting our communities. Their efforts, both on and off the field, help bring people together and make our community stronger."

Back in January, shortly after Trump was inaugurated, Kraft explained his longtime friendship with the 45th president.

"When [Kraft's wife] Myra died [in 2011], Melania [Trump] and Donald came up to the funeral in our synagogue, then they came for memorial week to visit with me," Kraft told Gary Myers of the New York Daily News at the time. "Then he called me once a week for the whole year, the most depressing year of my life when I was down and out. He called me every week to see how I was doing, invited me to things, tried to lift my spirits. He was one of five or six people that were like that. I remember that."

In addition to Kraft, Trump also considers Bill Belichick and Tom Brady friends.