The Taoiseach delivered a stinging blow to US President Joe Biden over America's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Biden took office four months ago as the virus still had a stranglehold on his country.
The US has recorded over 33 million cases of coronavirus, with 602,000 people having lost their lives to the deadly disease.
And it was these stats that were put to him in an opinion piece with the New York Times this week.
Mr Biden responded by telling of a jibe made at him by Micheál Martin during a conversation between the pair.
“We’re kind of at a place where the rest of the world is beginning to look to China," the President said, referring to America's position as a global powerhouse.
"The most devastating comment made after I was elected — it wasn’t so much about me — but it was by the Irish Taoiseach saying that ‘Well, America can’t lead. They can’t even get their arms around Covid.’"
Later in the interview, Mr Biden referenced his Irish heritage.
His ancestors left here in the 19th century before heading to America - with most believing it to be Famine-related.
Mr Biden responded to a question with: "I think the Irish most often use the world ‘dignity’ of any other group of people. I think it’s because when you’ve been deprived of dignity you put a high, high premium on it."
In the white ethnic hierarchies of midcentury America, “to be Irish was to be second class,” Biden recalled. “The English owned the town.”
The US has seen a remarkable turnaround in its battle against the virus following widespread infections across the nation.
Now with a huge percentage of the US population vaccinated, Mr Biden is promising to have 20 million Covid vaccines shipped overseas by the end of June.
In addition to the 60 million doses of AstraZeneca’s jab that the US has already promised to foreign allies, the President's administration will send 80 million vaccine doses abroad over the next six weeks.
