Article (Archive)
Fri, June 26th 2026 at 11:34 AM
WASHINGTON (TNND) — A Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claimed he teleported to a Waffle House and that millions of non-citizens voted in the 2016 election has stepped down from his post.
Gregg Phillips, whom then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tapped to head the Office of Response and Recovery in December, was asked to leave his role because of concerns about how he’s perceived publicly, an anonymous source told the Washington Post.
David Arnold, who was a FEMA senior official until he left earlier this year, will be returning to lead the Office of Response and Recovery in an acting capacity.
The Office of Response and Recovery provides equipment and supplies before hurricanes hit states and communities, and then moves additional resources after a natural disaster strikes. Also, the office provides financial assistance and housing to people who have recently lost their homes and belongings.
Noem's appointment of Phillips in December made headlines because of his past comments. He also did not have any official, prominent experience managing emergencies, but had been on the ground working with nonprofits and religious organizations after disasters for decades.
Phillips also previously served as a top human services official in Texas and Mississippi.
On a podcast in January 2025, Phillips said he was teleported to a Waffle House 50 miles away in Georgia, CNN reported.
“Teleporting is no fun,” Phillips said. “It’s no fun because you don’t really know what you’re doing. You don’t really understand it, it’s scary – but so real. And you know it’s happening but you can’t do anything about it, and so you just go, you just go with the ride. And wow, what just an incredible adventure it all was.”
He also claimed that his vehicle “lifted up” while he was driving and carried him about 40 miles from Albany, Ga., before setting him down in a ditch near a church.
Phillips said the teleporting experiences were frightening and uncontrollable, and had questioned at the time whether they were “evil” or “good,” but asserted they were real and had happened more than once.
"He was an image issue, with all the negative stories,” one anonymous source told the Post about Phillips.
A current agency official said, “He showed interest in preserving the mission of the agency and helping us serve citizens.”
The change at FEMA comes after President Trump recently nominated Cameron Hamilton, who was FEMA's acting director last year until he was forced out after objecting to the idea of dismantling the agency, to be its official administrator.
---------------------
I'll have what he's having. But maybe not quite as much.
by NATALIA MITTELSTADT | The National News DeskFri, June 26th 2026 at 11:34 AM
WASHINGTON (TNND) — A Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claimed he teleported to a Waffle House and that millions of non-citizens voted in the 2016 election has stepped down from his post.
Gregg Phillips, whom then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tapped to head the Office of Response and Recovery in December, was asked to leave his role because of concerns about how he’s perceived publicly, an anonymous source told the Washington Post.
FEMA confirmed Phillip's departure on Thursday, telling the Post that he “has played a pivotal role in stabilizing the Office of Response and Recovery and advancing key reforms to strengthen our mission delivery. His leadership was instrumental in guiding FEMA’s response to Typhoon Sinlaku and the 2026 winter storm in the Southeast, ensuring effective, immediate support to communities in need.”
David Arnold, who was a FEMA senior official until he left earlier this year, will be returning to lead the Office of Response and Recovery in an acting capacity.
The Office of Response and Recovery provides equipment and supplies before hurricanes hit states and communities, and then moves additional resources after a natural disaster strikes. Also, the office provides financial assistance and housing to people who have recently lost their homes and belongings.
Noem's appointment of Phillips in December made headlines because of his past comments. He also did not have any official, prominent experience managing emergencies, but had been on the ground working with nonprofits and religious organizations after disasters for decades.
Phillips also previously served as a top human services official in Texas and Mississippi.
On a podcast in January 2025, Phillips said he was teleported to a Waffle House 50 miles away in Georgia, CNN reported.
“Teleporting is no fun,” Phillips said. “It’s no fun because you don’t really know what you’re doing. You don’t really understand it, it’s scary – but so real. And you know it’s happening but you can’t do anything about it, and so you just go, you just go with the ride. And wow, what just an incredible adventure it all was.”
He also claimed that his vehicle “lifted up” while he was driving and carried him about 40 miles from Albany, Ga., before setting him down in a ditch near a church.
Phillips said the teleporting experiences were frightening and uncontrollable, and had questioned at the time whether they were “evil” or “good,” but asserted they were real and had happened more than once.
"He was an image issue, with all the negative stories,” one anonymous source told the Post about Phillips.
A current agency official said, “He showed interest in preserving the mission of the agency and helping us serve citizens.”
The change at FEMA comes after President Trump recently nominated Cameron Hamilton, who was FEMA's acting director last year until he was forced out after objecting to the idea of dismantling the agency, to be its official administrator.
---------------------
I'll have what he's having. But maybe not quite as much.
