(CNN) President Donald Trump paid Rod Rosenstein a rare compliment on Wednesday, one day after he refused to say whether he still has confidence in the deputy attorney general.

Rosenstein oversees the special counsel's investigation and has been a frequent target of criticism from the President and his allies. But Wednesday, he was one of just four federal officials who joined Trump for a roundtable session focused on combating the MS-13 criminal gang and illegal immigration.

Rosenstein earned Trump's praise after outlining steps the Justice Department has taken to combat MS-13 and other violent gangs and listing specific immigration law loopholes Congress should work to close.

"That's great, Rod, and I think that's happening. We have seen a willingness, even to a certain extent by the Democrats, starting to come around but it's brutal. It's brutal," Trump said. "As you know better than anybody, it's a tough situation. We need the laws enhanced very substantially and very quickly. Thank you, Rod, very nice."

The out-of-character accolade from the President came after Rosenstein directed flattery of his own at the President, thanking him for his "leadership."

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