Louisville, Kentucky (CNN) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's message Saturday night at the Kentucky GOP's annual Lincoln Day Dinner was that governing is hard, but the Senate is doing more than some might be portraying.

"We have very different points of view even within the Republican conference, not to mention the Democrats," McConnell told the attendees.

"A lot of people look at all that and find it frustrating, messy," he said "Well, welcome to the democratic process. That's the way it is."

Saturday's dinner, a celebration of the Republican Party's electoral gains over the last year, comes as President Donald Trump has taken McConnell to task in recent days for his handling of the failed vote to repeal parts of Obamacare and for not moving legislation to raise the debt ceiling.

But the majority leader steered clear of talking directly about his relationship with the President or any other drama unfolding in Washington -- whether that be Trump's pardoning Friday of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, his directive banning transgender military recruits or his continued attacks on members of McConnell's Senate majority, including the majority leader himself.