Yes, you did read that headline correctly.
A Trump appointed FEMA official who once claimed he teleported over 50 miles to a Waffle House has gone on leave.
Greg Phillips who serves as FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, decision to go on leave comes months after he made national headlines in March after claiming in a podcast interview he teleported on multiple occasions.
The Hill provided further details on Phillips decision to take leave:
A Trump administration appointee who claims to have once teleported to a Waffle House is now on leave from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
A FEMA spokesperson confirmed in a statement to The Hill that Gregg Phillips, who was leading a key disaster response office, is taking “leave for personal reasons.”
“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,” said the spokesperson, who did not provide their name.
They did not explicitly specify whether the leave was temporary or permanent. But they said that David Arnold, who reportedly left the agency earlier this year, will lead the office in an acting capacity “to guide the agency through this transition.”
The Washington Post first reported Phillips’s departure. A source told the news outlet that he was asked to step down because of public perception.
Watch Phillips make the claim here:
🚨 TOP FEMA OFFICIAL CLAIMS HE “TELEPORTED” 50 MILES — ENDED UP AT WAFFLE HOUSE
Greg Phillips calmly describes what he calls a “teleport incident,” saying he was in his car, suddenly “flying through the air,” and then ended up at a Waffle House roughly 50 miles away.… pic.twitter.com/bgRZcVa1ku
— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) March 23, 2026
In April President Trump was asked about Phillips’ teleporting claims.
People covered Trump’s full response:
President Donald Trump has responded to bizarre claims made by one of his top officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Gregg Phillips, a far-right conspiracy theorist who has been previously cited by the president for his baseless claims about fraud in the 2020 presidential election, was tapped to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery in December 2025
However, months prior, Phillips made some eyebrow-raising statements on his Onwardpodcast with Catherine Engelbrecht. He claimed that he had teleported multiple times in the past, including once to a Waffle House “like, 50 miles away from where I was.”
Trump was asked about Phillips’ now-viral comments in a brief phone interview with CNN last week. “What does teleport mean? Was he kidding?” the president, 79, asked.
What are your thoughts?
What are your thoughts?
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.