A CNN story that highlighted a group of white congresswomen as “leaders on impeachment” is facing backlash, with critics quick to point out many members of Congress of color were among the first to push for impeachment.

The story, published Saturday, concerned a group of what CNN calls “moderate” freshman House Democrats that switched their anti-impeachment views to back the House inquiry last week after the new allegations over the Ukrainian scandal.

The five Democrats, Reps. Elissa Slotkin Elissa SlotkinWray: Racially motivated violent extremism makes up most of FBI's domestic terrorism cases Overnight Defense: House chair announces contempt proceeding against Pompeo | Top general says military has no role in election disputes | Appeal court rejects due process rights for Gitmo detainees Top general: Military will play no role in resolving any electoral dispute MORE (Mich.), Abigail Spanberger Abigail Davis SpanbergerVulnerable Democrats tell Pelosi COVID-19 compromise 'essential' Trump asked Chamber of Commerce to reconsider Democratic endorsements: report Virginians wait up to four hours to cast early voting ballots MORE (Va.), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.), Mikie Sherrill Rebecca (Mikie) Michelle SherrillHillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll House passes legislation to boost election security research Lawmakers call for bipartisan push to support scientific research MORE (N.J.) and Elaine Luria Elaine Goodman LuriaKate Schroder in Ohio among Democratic challengers squelching GOP hopes for the House Congress must finish work on popular conservation bill before time runs out Virginians wait up to four hours to cast early voting ballots MORE (Va.), call themselves the “badasses” because they either served in the military or CIA, according to CNN. ADVERTISEMENT

CNN credits the women as having “changed history by becoming unlikely leaders on impeachment.”

The report directly compares them with “the squad,” the group of freshmen Democrats, all women of color, who have been among the most outspoken members of congress pushing for an impeachment inquiry.

"None of us is ever going to get in a Twitter war with anyone else," Slotkin told CNN, in the interview with Dana Bash Dana BashTrump says officials will investigate whether California is using 1619 Project in classrooms Veterans Affairs secretary defends Trump: 'I judge a man by his actions' GOP senator dismisses national intelligence director election security briefings: 'This is blown way out of proportion' MORE. "If we have a concern with someone, we're going to go right up and talk to them about it and we're not going to add unhelpful rhetoric to an already bad tone coming out of Washington.

Spanberger said “I don't think any of us want to be the loudest voice in the room. I just want to be one of the most effective”

Brittany Packnett, an activist and co-host of the “Pod Save the People” podcast, called the comparison with the fellow freshmen Democrats “coded racist rhetoric about women of color.”

“Also the end of this video is some of the worst coded racist rhetoric about women of color. The (incorrect) juxtaposition of being ‘loud’ v ‘effective’... intimations of them being angry and rageful. But I’m sure plenty of their ‘moderate’ constituents loved it,” she tweeted.

Packnett also said the “scales” that CNN said the so-called “bad asses” tipped “wouldn’t have EXISTED without women of color doing the hard work and taking the hits.”

“Y’all coming in at the 11th hour to barely break a sweat and take credit is the most white feminist thing EVER,” Packnett tweeted.

Eli Mystal, the executive editor of Above the Law, said the story gives the women credit for work other members have been doing.

“This story is trash,” Mystal tweeted. “The story gives these women credit for leading impeachment when in fact they were late in the game followers. If not for the work of women of color, there would have been no impeachment movement for them to glom onto, a fact this story seems to forget

The story gives these women credit for leading impeachment when in fact they were late in the game followers. If not for the work of women of color, there would have been no impeachment movement for them to glom onto, a fact this story seems to forget. — Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) September 29, 2019

Members of “the squad,” Democratic Reps. Illhan Omar (Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibTrump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' George Conway: 'Trump is like a practical joke that got out of hand' Pelosi endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary challenge MORE (Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley Ayanna PressleyEnding the Hyde Amendment is no longer on the backburner Fauci, Black Lives Matter founders included on Time's 100 Most Influential People list Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' MORE (Mass.) have been backing an impeachment inquiry long before Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiDemocratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' Overnight Health Care: New wave of COVID-19 cases builds in US | Florida to lift all coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, bars | Trump stirs questions with 0 drug coupon plan Overnight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds MORE (N.Y.) officially announced one last week.

As was Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the first member of Congress to call for impeachment, and Rep. Al Green Alexander (Al) N. GreenThe Memo: Trump's race tactics fall flat Trump administration ending support for 7 Texas testing sites as coronavirus cases spike The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Miami mayor worries about suicide and domestic violence rise; Trump-governor debate intensifies MORE (D-Texas), who has called for articles of impeachment several times.

The women profiled in the CNN story called for impeachment last week in a Washington Post op-ed just ahead of Pelosi’s announcement, as most House Democrats started to come behind the inquiry.

On Twitter, critics hit the story over ignoring the work congress members of color did and accused CNN of trying to “whitewash” history. Some, simply retweeted the story with the names of members who have been backing impeachment long before the women CNN highlighted as leaders.

Leave it to @CNNnewsroom to whitewash history again. They won't stick to the facts so they give white women credit for the work & sacrifice of women of color.



The true courageous leaders on impeachment are @RepMaxineWaters, @RepRashida, @RepPressley, @Ilhan, and @AOC. https://t.co/BrhbJ3MFUh — Sema for U.S. Senate (@_SemaHernandez_) September 29, 2019

.@RepMaxineWaters was the leader on impeachment! — yvette nicole brown (@YNB) September 29, 2019

Let me stop you white there https://t.co/ni0txyeHA7 — Daniel José Older (@djolder) September 29, 2019

Yeah this is trash. The “loudest voice in the room” we know what you’re trying to say — brain genius (@Millerheighife) September 29, 2019

A spokesperson for CNN was not immediately available for comment.