Is this an example of a literary device, and if so, what literary device is it?

Well I would have to know the full context but you may have irony there. Irony is a discrepancy between what a speaker is saying or doing and what is actually going on. However, you can find easier literary devices such as imagery, which is a description of thing through one or more of the five senses. Of you can try a simile which is a comparison using like or as. Or you can try a metaphor which is a comparison without like or as, example, "That man is a bear." Hope this helps.