President-elect of the United States of America Donald J. Trump praised the Breitbart News Network in an interview with the New York Times on Tuesday, saying this outlet is “quite successful” according to a transcript of his quote released by that outlet’s media reporter Michael Grynbaum.

“Breitbart is just a publication,” Trump said before comparing Breitbart News to the New York Times.

“They cover stories like you cover stories,” Trump said. “They are certainly a much more conservative paper, to put it mildly, than the New York Times. But Breitbart really is a news organization that has become quite successful. It’s got readers, and it does cover subjects on the right, but it covers subjects on the left also. It’s a pretty big thing.”

Trump is asked about concerns from minority groups about Breitbart News’s coverage under Steve Bannon. His reply: pic.twitter.com/FBqCGwQpBr — Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016

In the same interview, Trump defended Stephen K. Bannon–the Executive Chairman of Breitbart News who is on leave now to serve as the president-elect’s chief strategist and senior counsel–and dismissed the alt-right.

“I’ve known Steve Bannon a long time. If I thought he was a racist, or alt-right … I wouldn’t even think about hiring him,” Trump said of Bannon.

“I don’t want to energize the group, and I disavow the group,” Trump added of the alt-right. “It’s not a group I want to energize. And if they are energized I want to look into it and find out why.”