Bill O’Reilly talks Trump, Reagan and the 2016 presidential race

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly says the media is unfair to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump because the “liberal press” doesn’t like his policies on issues like immigration — but it can’t afford to ignore him.

“He’s a phenomenon, this man,” O'Reilly told Yahoo News’ Katie Couric on Wednesday. “How do you under cover that? I mean People magazine, they want to know about his tax plan.”

The media, though, can’t stand that Trump’s conservative messages are resonating, O'Reilly says.

“The liberal press doesn’t want a guy saying, ‘Well, we’re gonna build a fence! We’re gonna round up all the illegal aliens and deport them!’” he said. “The liberal press goes wild about that.”

But O'Reilly also called Trump “hypersensitive” when it comes to the ‘small stuff’ — and unable to accept criticism of his policies.

“If the question is tough, you’ve got to roll with it because you’re running for president,” he said.

O'Reilly, though, says Trump’s controversial assertion that Mexican immigrants are “rapists” was misinterpreted.

“He was talking about the 'coyotes,’ the people smugglers — not the regular Mexican people,” O'Reilly said. “He didn’t articulate it that way. It was a verbal mistake. … I know what he was saying, but he didn’t say it in a way that was clear.”

O'Reilly’s comments came a day after Trump appeared on The O'Reilly Factor, ending the real estate mogul’s six-day boycott of Fox News over what Trump said was the network’s “unfair” coverage of his presidential campaign.

But the top-rated host claims he wasn’t involved in brokering peace between his boss, Fox News chief Roger Ailes, and Trump.

“I give him my opinion if asked,” O'Reilly said. “But I don’t formulate policy.”

But the Factor host says he’s been very fair to Trump on the air.

“I’ve defended Trump a lot,” O'Reilly said. “I think Trump is good for America because he’s drawing so many people in and they’re paying attention to the debates.”

“He’s not a phony,” he continued. “He’s entertaining, he’s energetic and he’s knowledgable. That’s what I look for when I want to hang out with someone.”

O'Reilly believes Trump’s campaign slogan — “Make America Great Again” — is one of the reasons he’s risen to the top of the polls.

“Most Americans feel the country is going down the drain,” O'Reilly said. “And that we’re weak, confused, we’re being taken advantage of by China, by Mexico — all of the things Trump says. They believe. They may not like him … but people are angry that America is on the decline.”

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Bill O'Reilly talks Donald Trump on Yahoo News Live with Katie Couric at Yahoo Studios in New York City. (Yahoo News)