Donald Trump. NBC/screengrab Real-estate tycoon Donald Trump downplayed his upbringing during a town-hall event Monday morning.

The Republican presidential front-runner was asked if he's ever been told "no."

"My whole life really has been a 'no' and I fought through it," Trump said at the New Hampshire town hall, hosted by NBC's "Today" show. "It has not been easy for me. It has not been easy for me."

The billionaire businessman launched his real-estate empire with the support of his father, Fred Trump, who built homes in Queens and Brooklyn. But Donald Trump dismissed the support as "a small loan" of $1 million.

"I started off in Brooklyn. My father gave me a small loan of a million dollars. I came into Manhattan and I had to pay him back, and I had to pay him back with interest. But I came into Manhattan, I started buying up properties, and I did great," Trump continued. "I did a good job. But I was always told that would never work."

NBC anchor Matt Lauer, who was moderating the town hall, interjected.

"Let's just put this in perspective. You said this hasn't been easy for you, but 'my dad gave me a million-dollar loan.' That probably is going seem pretty easy to a lot of people," Lauer told Trump.

Trump agreed but said that loan pales in comparison to the size of his real-estate projects.

"You're right, but a million dollars isn't very much compared to what I built," he said. "I mean, I built one of the great companies."

NOW WATCH: Donald Trump says his "life hasn't been easy"