He took the left to task on Thursday for opposing a trade agreement with Asia, arguing that the economy has changed, but he hasn’t.

“We can’t go back to the past. We shouldn’t want to. We want to make sure we win the future,” Obama told about 200 activists from Organizing for Action — the reincarnation of the presidential campaign that fought for “change we can believe in.”

“You don’t make change through slogans,” he said. “You don’t make change through ignoring realities.”

While Republicans have backed fast-tracking a 12-nation Pacific trade agreement, it’s Democrats who have balked, with liberal voices like Elizabeth Warren warning that the deal would fuel outsourcing and lost wages. But Obama countered that America would be shut out of the new economy if it did not take the lead on writing new trade rules.

Obama noted those “saying this trade deal would destroy the American working families, despite the fact that I’ve done everything in my power to make sure that working families are empowered.”

“By this logic I would’ve had to do all his stuff for the last six and a half years and then, suddenly, just say I want to just destroy all of that,” he continued, punctuating his remarks with a snap.

Obama said the deal he is negotiating would be “the most progressive trade agreement in history,” citing enforceable provisions to protect workers and the environment.

“America needs to write the rules of the global economy,” Obama said.

The president said opposition stems from misinformation about this agreement or lingering dissatisfaction with a trade deal “that was passed 25 years ago.”

But feeling embittered by NAFTA is all the more reason to back this deal, Obama said, noting that it would fix problems with the Bill Clinton-era agreement because Canada and Mexico would also be signatories.

Opposition to a new deal “means you’re satisfied with the status quo,” he added. “The status quo isn’t working for our workers.”