Senator Amy Klobuchar on Wednesday rejected the notion that a woman cannot beat President Trump in 2020, arguing instead that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does as much every day.

Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat and presidential candidate, highlighted the struggles facing women who run for office and said a successful candidate will be the one who is the smartest, most competent, and accomplished.

"I govern both with my head and my heart, and if you think a woman can't beat Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi does it every single day," Klobuchar said during the fifth Democratic presidential debate, which was hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post.

Klobuchar was also pressed by NBC's Andrea Mitchell about comments she made earlier this month about South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in which she said a female candidate with a resume similar to Buttigieg's would not have made the debate stage.

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"Women are held to a higher standard otherwise we could play a game called name your favorite woman president," she said, adding that any woman watching at home "knows exactly what I mean."

Buttigieg, a Harvard graduate who served with the Navy Reserve in Afghanistan, has not held statewide office but has emerged as a leading candidate among the expansive Democratic field.

Klobuchar acknowledged Buttigieg has the qualifications to be on the debate stage, but said women "have to work harder, and that's a fact."

Klobuchar touted her record as a politician, noting she has repeatedly won Republican-leaning districts and passed over 100 bills during her time in the U.S. Senate.

She also joked that during her first Senate campaign, she "raised $17,000 from ex-boyfriends and I'd like to point out it is not an expanding base."