US President Donald Trump drew a parallel with his planned wall between the United States and Mexico as he expressed confidence that the Brexit logjam over the Irish border would work out "very well".
Mr Trump made the comments to Irish premier Leo Varadkar on his first official visit to Ireland since becoming president, Telegraph reports.
"I think that will all work out, it will all work out very well and also for you, with your wall, your border," he said.
"I mean we have a border situation in the United States. And you have one over here but I hear it's going to work out very well. I think it's both going to work out well, it's going to work out very well here."
Mr Varadkar told Mr Trump that Ireland wanted to avoid any wall or border with Northern Ireland post-Brexit.
The president agreed that the current free-flowing Irish bordershould be preserved.
"The way it works now is good and I think you want to try to keep it that way and I know that's a big point of contention with respect to Brexit is your border," he said.
"And I'm sure it's going to work out well. I know they are focused very heavily on it."
Mr Trump rejected the suggestion Brexit would be bad for Ireland.
"I think it will be good, the big thing is going to be your border but hopefully that is going to work out and I think it will work out," he said.