Mitt Romney accused U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday of "surrendering" in his attempt to change up Washington.

A comment that Obama made in an interview with the Spanish-language television network Univision in Florida gave Romney an opening to charge that the president is ineffective.

Obama told Univision his 2010 U.S. healthcare overhaul was a result of Americans exerting pressure on Washington for action.

"You can't change Washington from the inside, you can only change Washington from the outside," he said. "That's how the big accomplishments like healthcare got done, because we mobilized the American people to speak out."

An animated Romney quickly pounced on the remark as evidence that Obama cannot break the political gridlock that has seized Washington as lawmakers grapple with massive debt and annual $1 trillion deficits.

"The president today threw in the white flag of surrender again.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Romney Pounces on Obama 'Change' Remark