Official who claimed to have teleported to Waffle House fired at FEMA
June 26 (UPI) -- A Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claims he was once teleported to a Waffle House has been ousted from the agency, unnamed sources familiar with the situation told media outlets Friday.
Gregg Phillips, who was appointed to lead the Office of Response and Recovery in December, was asked to vacate his position because of concerns about how he's publicly perceived, anonymous sources told The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN.
Phillips, the associate administrator for FEMA's Office of Response and Recovery, posted on social media in April doubling down on his teleportation claim. He said it really happened and that it is connected to his Christianity.
"God will not be mocked," Phillips posted on Truth Social. "People can debate me. Question me. Even ridicule what they don't understand."
He clarified that it happened while he was heavily medicated during cancer treatment.
"The word 'teleportation' was not mine," Phillips posted on Truth Social. "It was used by someone else in the conversation reaching for language to describe something with no easy name. The more accurate biblical terms are 'translated' or 'transported' -- not new ideas for people of faith."
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Thursday that Phillips is leaving the agency, saying he is taking leave for personal reasons. But sources told CNN the departure was not by his choice.
New DHS leadership was tired of his public image and clashes with department leadership, the sources said. David Arnold, a senior official who left FEMA earlier this year, will fill in as an acting leader of the Office of Response and Recovery.
The office has more than 1,000 employees and a budget of nearly $300 million. It's critical to the mission of responding to disasters.
Phillips was known as a conspiracy theorist, particularly concerning election fraud. He said millions of noncitizens had voted in the 2016 election. Trump also boosted those claims.
Some agency staff were unhappy with his ouster, saying he wanted to help improve the agency.
"He showed interest in preserving the mission of the agency and helping us serve citizens," one current agency official told The Post.
Another agency official told The Post that Phillips was one of the only political appointees who supported staff and would push back against leadership such as former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem or Karen Evans, who briefly led FEMA.
Copyright 2026 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.