President Barack Obama touched down in Michigan on Wednesday where he delivered a speech addressing the man-made water crisis in Flint that has exposed the entire community to toxic levels of lead.

Making his first public remarks on the water fiasco, Obama admitted that he would be devastated if he were living in Flint and his own children were poisoned by the drinking water.

"I am very proud of what I've done as president, but the only job that's more important to me is the job of father," Obama said at a joint General Motors-United Auto Workers facility in Detroit, reports ABC News. "And I know if I was a parent up there, I would be beside myself if my kids' health could be at risk."

The president also criticized Michigan officials who decided to start using the polluted Flint River as a water supply in April 2014 to save money.

"It is a reminder of why you can't shortchange basic services that we provide to our people and that we together provide as a government to make sure that public health and safety is preserved," Obama said.

The drinking water in the predominately black, low-income community first became contaminated with lead after a state official appointed by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder decided to tap into the Flint River. Because the new water source was polluted, community members began complaining that their faucet water was the color of urine and caused rashes.

State officials, however, brushed off concerns for months, telling locals that the water was safe to use for bathing and cooking. It wasn't until an independent research study discovered elevated levels of toxic lead in children's blood in the area that the Republican governor decided to switch the water supply from the Flint River back to Lake Huron months later in October 2015.

Now, residents and high profile activists like filmmaker Michael Moore are calling for the governor's arrest.

Although Obama did not visit Flint while in Michigan, he met with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver Tuesday at the White House.

"I told her that we are going to have her back," Obama said.

The White House also provided a description of the meeting, which states that Obama "heard firsthand how the residents of Flint are dealing with the ongoing public health crisis, and the challenges that still exist for the city, its residents, and the business community," reports CNN.

In addition, the White House also sent Nicole Lurie, the deputy secretary for preparedness at the Department of Health and Human Services, to coordinate federal efforts in Flint.