Hosting Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Tuesday, Donald Trump mentioned Andrew Brunson at least twice, according to sources separately quoted by MSNBC and Christian Post.
One source with inside knowledge told the Christian Post: "...the fate of this American pastor was clearly at the very top of the list of agenda items for the president today when he met with the Turkish president."
The source gave no information concerning how the Turkish president responded.
As Mr Trump and Mr Erdogan met face to face for the first time, campaigners gathered outside the White House to demand the release of Mr Brunson.
Rev Patrick Mahoney, who organised the demonstration, was quoted by the Christian Post as saying: "We are calling on President Trump to boldly embrace religious freedom and in face-to-face discussions with President Erdogan, demand the immediate release of Pastor Brunson
"We will also be calling for Turkey to ensure religious freedom and human rights for all and end persecution and intimidation of Christians and other religious minorities."
The North Carolina church leader has been detained in Turkey since October last year on mysterious terrorism charges. He was arrested over a bid to renew his visa.
He has insisted upon his innocence after two pro-Government Turkish newspapers published articles linking him to the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen who Ankara suspects of organising a failed coup in July 2016.
In a crackdown allegedly targeting what Turkey calls the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization, tens of thousands of judges, journalists, military personnel and others have been jailed following the attempted coup.
Meanwhile, the religious rights advocacy group the American Center for Law and Justice has written a formal letter to the United Nations in protest of Mr Brunson's detention.