President Barack Obama broke his silence and lobbed criticism at multiple Democratic frontrunners in the 2020 primary, during an appearance with Democrat Stacey Abrams at an event in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

Obama called out the candidates for listening to the furthest left voters within the Democratic primary, ignoring the concerns of the remainder of the coalition he feels will be necessary for victory, according to a report by Newsone.

“Even as we push the envelope and we are bold in our vision, we also have to be rooted in reality and the fact that voters, including Democratic voters and certainly persuadable independents or even moderate Republicans, are not driven by the same views that are reflected on certain left-leaning Twitter feeds or the activist wing of our party,” Obama said. “The average American doesn’t think we have to completely tear down the system and remake it.”

Although according to a report by the New York Times, the event was attended by “several hundred donors and organizational leaders,” those who saw the comments after their release were quick to criticize Obama and the Democratic party's power structure for perpetrating the attack on their own base of support. 

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who announced her endorsement for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in October, weighed in on Twitter saying, "If being #TooFarLeft means believing healthcare is a human right, future generations should live on a healthy planet, all student debt should be canceled … Count me in!" 

Even the candidates did not hesitate to push back on Obama. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who many media reports claim the comments were directed to despite no one being named, claimed his proposal was not "tearing the system down," but were instead long overdue.

"When I talk about health care being a human right and ending the embarrassment of America being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee healthcare for every man, woman, and child, that’s not tearing down the system,” Sanders said, according to the New York Times. “That’s doing what we should have done 30 years ago.”

Obama also stated frustration with candidates talking about the past while running campaigns for the future. The former commander-in-chief did, however, point to his 2008 election as a model for anyone worried about the process hurting a potential victor.

“For those who get stressed about robust primaries, I just have to remind you I had a very robust primary,” Obama said. “I’m confident that at the end of the process we will have a candidate that has been tested.”

Despite his criticism for some in the 2020 field, Obama both refused to endorse or withdraw support for any candidate who would potentially be the Democratic nominee. 

“We have a field of very accomplished," Obama said, "very serious, and passionate, and smart people who have a history of public service, and whoever emerges from the primary process, I will work my tail off to make sure they are the next president."

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