President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE on Thursday heaped praise on House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesOvernight Defense: Stopgap spending measure awaits Senate vote | Trump nominates former Nunes aide for intelligence community watchdog | Trump extends ban on racial discrimination training to contractors, military Trump nominates former Nunes aide to serve as intel community inspector general Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election MORE (R-Calif.), saying he deserves the nation's highest military honors for his efforts to push back on the Russia investigation.

"If this turns out as everyone thinks it will, Devin Nunes should get the Medal of Honor," Trump said during an interview on "Fox & Friends."

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The Medal of Honor is awarded to military service members recognized for acts of valor during war.

The president later suggested Nunes should receive the highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.

Trump's line appeared to be parroted from Fox News host Sean Hannity, who told Nunes he "frankly deserves the Medal of Freedom for really showing, sadly, the biggest abuse of power corruption scandal."

The California lawmaker has made numerous document requests to the Justice Department regarding the Russia investigation. Republicans say the efforts are meant to make the probe more transparent but critics say the moves are designed to slow down or halt the probe.

Trump was asked if he would fire deputy attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod RosensteinDOJ kept investigators from completing probe of Trump ties to Russia: report Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report FBI officials hid copies of Russia probe documents fearing Trump interference: book MORE, who oversees the Russia probe but demurred.

"Well, I actually get along well with Rod," Trump said.

But he went on to again criticize the probe as "a witch hunt going on."

Rosenstein could not come to an agreement with Republican lawmakers to testify under oath about news reports that he discussed secretly recording Trump or using the 25th Amendment to oust him. The top Justice Department official has denied the report.

Updated at 9:22 a.m.