Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wrote him a note yesterday saying the media mogul was right to suggest he take the NFL to court over Deflategate.

“I told him, ‘The easiest thing Tom (is to) sue them for $500 million’ as soon as that report came out that said, ‘We don’t know if he’s guilty but we think he’s guilty,” Trump said today on Boston Herald Radio’s “Morning Meeting” show. “I told this to Tom and he actually wrote me a little note yesterday saying, ‘You were right.’

“He waited too long,” added Trump, who said he plays golf frequently with Brady. “He should have sued them earlier.”

Trump was highly critical of the NFL’s handling of the ball-inflation scandal and called the league’s response to the situation “shocking.” He also credited Patriots owner Robert Kraft for being willing to accept a harsh league penalty to his team — a $1 million fine and the loss of a first and fourth round draft pick — in the hope that he would clear his quarterback’s name.

“This is a disgrace, this is handled, in my opinion, as bad or worse than Ray Rice,” Trump said. “Bob Kraft is a terrific guy and he trusted (the NFL) when he made his deal…he trusted they would make a fair decision and he was let down.”

Yesterday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the four-game suspension handed to Brady as a result of the Wells Report.

“It’s not that big a deal,” Trump said. “It’s bad for football. It’s devastating for somebody like Tom Brady who has a squeaky clean reputation. If anything, this whole thing should have been done in a week.”

As for Goodell’s contention that Brady destroyed his cell phone, Trump said he has heard reports that the quarterback had to get a new phone.

“The way it was released it sounds bad but when you hear Tom’s side, I don’t know,” Trump said. “It’s a very different way of hearing it. I know (Brady) so well, he’s such a high quality guy.”

While the GOP frontrunner took the league to task over how the matter has played out, he was kinder when referring to Goodell personally.

“I know Roger, and he’s a good person, but this has gotten out of control,” Trump said. “I think it’s bad for their great star. This could have been handled quickly and effectively and everyone would have been happy, but instead you’re going to have litigation and million and millions of dollars are going to be spent.

“If Donald Trump were commissioner, this thing would have been wrapped up in a week and everybody would have been happy.”