Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) offered an odd defense for how hard she is on her staff, telling CNN on Thursday that she needs to be because “when you’re out there on the world stage and dealing with people like [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, yeah, you want someone who’s tough.”

In an interview with CNN’s Poppy Harlow, Klobuchar said she “can always do better” with her employees but insisted that her toughness is necessary.