Former president Barack Obama is facing social media backlash after criticizing a phrase which has become a popular rallying cry for social justice activists looking to end police brutality.

Sitting down for an interview with Peter Hamby, host of the Snapchat political show, Good Luck America, Obama said activists lose support when they use “snappy” slogans like “defund the police.”

"You lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you're actually going to get the changes you want done," the former president said in the interview, which is scheduled to go live on Wednesday, according to Axios.

The 44th president added that productivity should be the focus when deciding stances and approaches to policies.

"The key is deciding, do you want to actually get something done, or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with," he said.  

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was among those opposed to Obama's statement.

"We lose people in the hands of police," she wrote on Twitter. "It’s not a slogan but a policy demand. And centering the demand for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country gets us progress and safety."

Some critics applied Obama's famous campaign slogans to make points to the contrary. 

A woman who lost a loved one to police brutality made a jarring point.

At the same time, several agreed with Obama's stance.

One social media user said he doesn't have a problem with the phrase "defund the police," but also understands what the 44th president is suggesting.

One person described the criticism of "defund the police" as a perfectly reasonable assertion.

Some opponents of the rallying cry said community relationships with police could be better if advocates focused on reform instead of defunding.

According to The Hill, other top Democrats have also been pushing back against the effort to "defund the police."

In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press last month, House Majority Whip James Clyburn said the slogan harmed Democratic candidates such as Rep. Joe Cunningham who lost to Rep.-elect Nancy Mace.

The phrase took center stage during the nationwide protests during the summer as social justice advocates expressed their outrage over the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and dozens more Black people. As activists have been explaining in recent months, the goal is to reallocate funds from police departments to invest more into social services for minority communities. 

Obama promoted his new memoir, A Promised Land, in the Snapchat interview and advocated for younger generations to be more involved in politics.

"One thing I will say about the Democratic Party is that promoting young people is really important," he said. "And I think that there have been times where we stick so long with the same old folks and don't make room for new voices.”

The 59-year-old also explained why he believes President Donald Trump gained widespread support among young Black men during the election.

“I think men generally are more susceptible to public figures who act tough, try to project a stereotypical macho style," he said. "I don't think Black men are immune to that any more than white or Hispanic men are.”

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