"It was a taunt, and I said, 'How much do you take?'" the billionaire businessman said of the network's mocking statement.

Donald Trump stood firm in his decision to boycott the Fox News Republican debate when he appeared Wednesday on The O'Reilly Factor. 

The pre-taped interview with host Bill O'Reilly took place a day after the GOP presidential frontrunner announced he would not take part in Thursday's Fox News primary debate. Trump made the decision because he felt slighted by the network for a mocking statement it released about him on Tuesday. 

"It was a taunt, and I said, 'How much do you take?'" Trump said, calling the statement "childish." 

He added, "I don't like being taken advantage of, in this case I was being taken advantage of by Fox [News]."

The interview was cordial until O'Reilly asked Trump to reconsider his debate boycott.

"We had an agreement that you would not ask me that," said a clearly irritated Trump.

The billionaire businessman said he is not walking away from the event, but said rather, "I was pushed away."

"I have zero respect for Megyn Kelly," he said. "I think she is highly overrated."