President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE on Tuesday offered rare public praise for Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status MORE, a frequent target of his ire over the Russia investigation.

Trump lauded Sessions’s handling of immigration enforcement during a White House event on so-called sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

“Jeff, I will say, the level of strength from the Justice Department on this issue and on other border issues has been fantastic,” Trump said to Sessions, who was sitting near the president at a large table inside the Roosevelt Room. “So we thank you very much.”

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Trump has never forgiven Sessions for his decision to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, a step that helped lead to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE.

Sessions has long been the subject of firing rumors and Trump has repeatedly bashed him on social media.

“Question: If all of the Russian meddling took place during the Obama Administration, right up to January 20th, why aren’t they the subject of the investigation? Why didn’t Obama do something about the meddling? Why aren’t Dem crimes under investigation? Ask Jeff Sessions!” Trump tweeted on Feb. 21.