WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Sunday applauded Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s response to the water contamination crisis in Flint — even though the situation was caused by Snyder’s own administration.

“I admire Rick Snyder for stepping up right now,” Bush said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “He’s going to the challenge. He’s fired people and accepted responsibility to fix this.”

Bush’s praise comes as some are demanding Snyder’s resignation over the preventable disaster in Flint, where as many as 100,000 people have been drinking and bathing in brown, lead-contaminated water that the government previously told them was safe. As The Huffington Post’s Arthur Delaney reports, this happened because Snyder’s government gave Flint bad water treatment advice.

When host Jake Tapper said he was surprised to hear positive words for Snyder given his role in the catastrophe, Bush held firm and said he’s impressed with the way the Republican governor is owning the issue.

“Instead of saying, ‘The dog ate my homework, it’s someone else’s fault,’ once it became clear, he’s taking the lead now,” Bush said. “That’s exactly what I think leaders have to do.”

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