The people of Flint, MI have been understandably distrusting of local government officials’ claims that their tap water was clean enough to drink even with the use of filters. To help sway locals, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has been drinking the same filtered water for weeks (even though this hasn’t been enough to keep residents from booing him at a recent press conference). He’s now gotten one of the best cosigns he could’ve asked for.

President Barack Obama announced that he’d be visiting Flint, MI in a letter to an 8-year-old girl commonly known as “Little Miss Flint.” During his visit on Wednesday (May 5), Obama spoke to reporters and drank a glass of Flint’s filtered water to let people know it was safe.

“Filtered water is safe, and it works,” Obama said, according to Huffington Post. “Working with the state and the city, filters are now available for everyone in the city.”

RELATED: Woman Tied To Key Flint Lawsuit Found Murdered In Home

Obama reportedly urged parents to have their children tested for lead and reminded people that there was once a time where lead poisoning in water wasn’t even something people knew about, yet people managed to push forward. He also commended Snyder, the Environmental Protection Agency and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver for how they handled the water crisis.

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Author

  • Keith Reid-Cleveland is a proud product of Chicago's Southside and the Missouri School of Journalism. The Black Youth Project News Editor has written about politics, race and entertainment for multiple publications, such as Uproxx, The Undefeated, Black Nerd Problems, Comic Book Resources and more.