Donald Trump has claimed Enda Kenny is "a great guy", and says the Taoiseach is his new friend.
The US president made the comments after accepting an invitation from Enda Kenny to visit Ireland during his presidency.
The invite was offered by the Taoiseach during a half-hour meeting at the White House this afternoon.
Trump says he "loves Ireland", and that it is an honour to be the Taoiseach's friend.
President Trump said: "All of our friends, welcome. Taoiseach, that's my new friend, he's a great guy and you are something very special.
"We sat, we talked, and I think we're friends now too, right? It's really an honour."
Speaking at the annual event, Mr Trump said he "loved Ireland and the people of Ireland".
"The people of Ireland and the people of the United States have stuck together through good times and bad times," he said.
"Over many centuries we have built a bond that thrives, inspires and endures and with us it's going to be closer than ever before.
"So as we celebrate our shared history and our enduring friendship let us commit ourselves to working together, as we will, to build on that bond to the benefit of our citizens for many more generations to come."
During the lunch, Mr Kenny made an impassioned plea to the president to help the 50,000 "undocumented" Irish who live in the United States without legal permission.
The Taoiseach has long campaigned for a legal pathway to be opened up to allow the undocumented to obtain legal residency without fear of deportation.
The issue has drawn intense focus on this year's visit, given the president's hard-line stance on immigration.
After the White House meeting, Mr Kenny said he and the president had agreed to work constructively on the issue.
Later, at the speaker's lunch, the Taoiseach stressed the important role played by so many Irish people through US history.
"This is what I said to your predecessor on a number of occasions - we would like this to be sorted," he told the president.
"It would remove a burden off so many people that they can stand out in the light and say 'now I am free to contribute to America, as I know I can'."
