After Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) campaign manager questioned Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) account of feeling threatened by voters in Nevada, claiming she “blew kisses” at angry Sanders supporters, Boxer said Wednesday she was trying to de-escalate a tense situation.

“I just tried to defuse it every way I could,” Boxer said in an interview on CNN. “I was heading to the exit and they were following me with more of these vile comments. I used a sense of humor and I blew them kisses.”

Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver on Wednesday called out Boxer for “blowing kisses at Sanders supporters” earlier this month at the Nevada state convention, saying that action is “incongruous” with her saying she feared for her safety.

The California senator said she’s a good friend of Sanders and spoke with him after the rowdy convention.

“I don’t know why Mr. Weaver, whom I don’t know, wants to pick a fight with me,” Boxer said.

She went on to say: “Let me be clear, I did not defuse the situation. So where are we now? Why are we looking back, I say to Mr. Weaver. We need to be working to win this election to unify, not go back and pick fights with one another and I’m not picking a fight with him. He wasn’t there.”

Watch Boxer’s remarks via CNN: