Sioux City, Iowa (CNN) Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand defended her decision to call on former Sen. Al Franken to resign after allegations of unwanted touching and kissing were made against him, earning praise from a friendly audience of Iowans in Sioux City on Friday.

Gillibrand, who was first to call on Franken to resign, clearly came prepared to answer questions about the Minnesota Democrat, whose ouster after a series of allegations in 2017 remains a contentious issue for the party. Some on the left, including a number of top Democratic donors, believe Franken was pushed out too quickly, while others think he got what he deserved.

Gillibrand said Friday that she made the decision to help push him out because "my silence meant I was defending him and carrying his water, which I was unwilling to do."

"Enough was enough," Gillibrand said twice, arguing the tipping point in her decision was the eight allegations leveled against Franken. "Al Franken is entitled to whatever process wanted, if he wanted to say and wait six months for his ethics hearing. His decision was to resign. My decision was not to remain silent."

Gillibrand added, "You have to stand up for what's right, especially when it's hard. And if you create a pass because you love someone, or you like someone, or admire someone, or they're part of your team, it's not OK, it's just not, and I feel strongly about it and it's painful. It's painful for me. It's painful for a lot of us."

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