FEMA Official Who Claimed He Teleported to a Waffle House Departs Agency

A senior FEMA official who gained notoriety for a series of bizarre claims — including an assertion that he once teleported to a Waffle House — has departed the agency, according to multiple reports.Gregg Phillips, who led the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Response and Recovery, is leaving his post, the Department of Homeland Security said this week. While officials described the move as a voluntary leave taken for personal reasons, sources told CNN that Mr. Phillips was pushed out after new DHS leadership grew tired of the controversy surrounding him and his repeated clashes with agency leaders.Mr. Phillips was installed at FEMA by White House officials in December, despite a history of promoting assertions the 2020 presidential election was stolen. A far-right activist, he played a central role in the widely discredited “2000 Mules” film and had previously claimed that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election. His post did not require Senate confirmation.The scrutiny intensified in March, when CNN reported on a trove of remarks Mr. Phillips had made during appearances on right-wing podcasts. Among them was his claim that he had been involuntarily teleported roughly 50 miles to a Waffle House in Georgia. When questioned, Mr. Phillips stood by the account.By April, even President Trump acknowledged the remarks were “a little strange.” Around the same time, CNN reported that the White House had urged DHS to either “remove Phillips or keep him out of public view.”The office Mr. Phillips oversaw carries significant responsibilities, including coordinating search-and-rescue operations, distributing disaster assistance, and restoring infrastructure — decisions that involve billions of dollars in federal aid.His exit adds further instability to an agency already stretched thin. Politico reported in late May that the administration entered hurricane season with its smallest disaster workforce since 2021, a substantial backlog of state aid requests, and 15 vacancies in top emergency management roles.The agency sought to frame his tenure in positive terms. “Since joining the agency, he has played a pivotal role in stabilizing the Office of Response and Recovery and advancing key reforms to strengthen our mission delivery,” a FEMA spokesman told The Hill. David Arnold has been named to lead the office in an acting capacity during the transition.

FEMA Official Who Claimed He Teleported to a Waffle House Departs Agency

More from the New York Sun

The War Over War Powers

Antisemitism Is the Root of Mamdani Socialism, and It’s Destroying New York City

Why Rod Stewart Mattered So Much to a Teen Boy in Care

More from the New York Sun

The War Over War Powers

Antisemitism Is the Root of Mamdani Socialism, and It’s Destroying New York City

Why Rod Stewart Mattered So Much to a Teen Boy in Care

France’s Greens Propose Paid Days Off Instead of Air Conditioning To Respond to Heat Waves

Musk Loses Trillionaire Title as SpaceX Shares Tumble

Chevalier Wins, Democrats Panic, and Letitia James Fears Mamdani Has Given Party Its MAGA Moment

James Comey Builds All-Star Legal Team To Thwart Renewed Effort by Trump DOJ To Convict Him

Rubio Tries To Ease Gulf Allies’ Fears of Capitulation to Tehran