Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is defending her decision to appear on a town hall-style program on right-leaning Fox News after a chief rival criticized the network in no-uncertain terms.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who also is seeking the Democratic nomination, turned down the invitation Fox News extended to her and criticized the network as “a hate-for-profit racket” and “a megaphone to racists and conspiracists.” 

Fox News is known for generally supporting the work of Donald Trump and his Republican allies.

In contrast, Gillibrand decided to go ahead and accept the invitation for an on-air appearance.

“My belief is that the president of the United States needs to represent everyone, and I’m going to ask every voter for their vote, regardless of where they live, whether they’re in a red state or purple state or blue state,” Gillibrand said. “And I believe you need to meet voters where they are, and a lot of America happens to watch that network, so I would like to do a town hall so I can speak to all Americans about their values, their views, their priorities and where I stand and what my vision for this country is and my experience to actually realize that vision, whether it’s health care, whether it’s education or jobs, I have a record of actually bringing people together and getting things done.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), another contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, made headlines earlier this year when he became the first candidate on the Democratic side this year to not only accept a Fox News invitation but received an enthusiastic response.