Story highlights "If there's any country in the world that doesn't deserve any kind of sanctions relief, it's the Russians," McConnell said

McConnell has previously claimed that some voter fraud does occur

Washington (CNN) Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he disagrees with President Donald Trump's call for a federal investigation of alleged voter fraud, saying any abuse would be best reviewed by individual states.

McConnell also split with Trump on repealing the sanctions on Russia placed in the waning weeks of the Obama administration.

"I'd be opposed to that," McConnell said in an interview with National Journal that was released Friday.

"I think the first step is to encourage the administration not to use any kind of waiver that may be in the existing law," McConnell added. "If there's any country in the world that doesn't deserve any kind of sanctions relief, it's the Russians."

Trump has indicated in the past he's open to lifting sanctions against Russia, though he downplayed the possibility during a White House news conference on Friday, saying it was "too early" to discuss removing sanctions that were issued on Russia under his predecessor, President Barack Obama.

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