Sen. Mitch McConnell: "The courts will decide whether or not the executive order of the president that is issued is valid or not." | AP Photo McConnell rebukes Trump's judge attack The Senate Republican leader also distanced himself from the president on Russia, voter fraud and the travel ban.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday distanced himself from President Donald Trump's positions on Russia, voter fraud and the travel ban, while criticizing the president for attacking a federal judge.

"It is best not to single out judges," McConnell told Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union. "We all get disappointed from time to time. I think it is best to avoid criticizing them individually."


McConnell was asked about Trump's tweet on Saturday calling the George W. Bush-appointed judge who temporarily halted his travel ban a "so-called judge."

The Kentucky Republican said he wouldn't consider legislation to implement the travel ban, instead leaving it to courts to determine the legality of Trump's executive order.

"The courts will decide whether or not the executive order of the president that is issued is valid or not," he said. "I think proper vetting is important, but there is a fine line here between proper vetting and interfering with the kind of travel or suggesting a religious test."

The president resumed his tweeting on Sunday afternoon. He tweeted, "Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!," followed a few minutes later by: "I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making the job very difficult!"

McConnell declined to directly comment on Trump's statement in an interview with Bill O'Reilly comparing Vladimir Putin's killings with some past American actions. ("We've got a lot of killers," the president said. "What, you think our country's so innocent?") But McConnell made clear he does not share the president's view of Putin.

"He is a former KGB agent, a thug, not elected in a way that most people consider a credible election," McConnell said of the Russian leader. "No, I don't think there is any equivalency with the way the Russians conduct themselves and the way the United States does."

McConnell, while saying that voter fraud does exist, also impugned Trump's false assertion that 3 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election and opposed Trump's call for a federal investigation into voter fraud.

"There is no evidence it occurred in such a significant number that would have changed the presidential election," McConnell said. "And I don't think we ought to spend any federal money investigating that. I think the states can take a look at this issue."

On Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, McConnell commended the nominee as "outstanding" but sidestepped Trump's suggestion that the Senate should eliminate the filibuster if needed to overcome Democratic opposition: "Any one senator can require the entire Senate to cast 60 votes to stop a filibuster and move to what we call an up-or-down vote, a simple majority vote on a nominee. So, any one senator could make us get 60 votes."

McConnell concluded: "If we have to get 60 votes, I'm confident that we will."

CNN rejected the White House's offer to interview adviser Kellyanne Conway.