WASHINGTON – The day after Republicans expanded their control of the Senate while losing the House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Democrats against aggressively going after President Donald Trump.

"The Democrats in the House will have to decide just how much presidential harassment they think is good strategy," the Kentucky Republican told reporters when asked about the likelihood of Democrats seeking to get Trump's tax returns. "I'm not so sure it will work for them."

McConnell noted that when House Republicans impeached President Bill Clinton in 1998, "his numbers went up, and ours went down."

"We underperformed in the next election," McConnell said.

But McConnell took a more combative tone against Democratic President Barack Obama during the 2010 midterm elections.

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president," McConnell said when calling the midterms the "first step in retaking the government."

McConnell did add that it would be "not inappropriate" to do business with Obama if "he’s willing to meet us halfway on some of the biggest issues."

On Tuesday, McConnell suggested that voters chose a divided government not to serve as a check on the GOP, but because they want both parties to work together to make progress on issues they care about.

"I think the message is, 'Figure out what you can do together, and do it,' " McConnell said.

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McConnell made these observations about the agenda of the next Congress:

Prescription drugs

He cited reducing the cost of prescription drugs and improving the nation's infrastructure as areas where he could work with a Democratic House.

Entitlements, immigration

Conversely, he predicted Democrats would not want to join Republicans on making changes to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. Finding common ground on taxes and on funding a wall along the Mexican border and other immigration issues could also prove difficult.

Judges

No matter what legislation the parties might be able to agree on, McConnell said his top priority will remain putting conservative judges on the federal bench. "We intend to keep confirming as many as we possibly can," he said, "for as long as we're in a position to do it."

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