FEMA Official Gregg Phillips Faces Scrutiny Over Violent Rhetoric and Waffle House Teleport Claim

Gregg Phillips, appointed in December 2025 to lead FEMA's Office of Response and Recovery, has become the center of controversy as millions of Americans faced brutal winter storms.

“As millions of Americans braced for a series of brutal storms this winter, the senior official in charge of the federal government’s disaster response had been on the job only a few weeks — and had previously claimed on podcasts that he once teleported to a Waffle House”

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His position is described as among the most consequential in the agency, involving decisions affecting search-and-rescue operations, emergency aid, infrastructure restoration, and the distribution of billions of dollars in disaster assistance.

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Phillips gained prominence not through federal emergency management expertise but as a far-right activist known for spreading conspiracy theories about voter fraud and using violent rhetoric toward political opponents.

His sudden elevation to a senior FEMA role raised concerns among career officials about his qualifications and background in disaster management.

Phillips' background includes a history of violent rhetoric and inflammatory statements toward Democratic officials.

A CNN KFile review uncovered deleted posts and podcast appearances where he directed deeply personal attacks at political opponents.

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Most notably, in January 2025 on a podcast, Phillips referred to former President Joe Biden as a 'nasty, shitty, crappy human being' and stated, 'I would like to punch that b*tch in the mouth right now' while adding that Biden 'deserves to die. And I hope he does.'

Despite his controversial past, some FEMA officials reported that Phillips' hands-on involvement during the recent storms had softened their initial skepticism, with one high-ranking official surprisingly declaring that 'Gregg Phillips is FEMA's best hope at this moment.'

Phillips' most bizarre claims involve repeated assertions of physical teleportation experiences.

“As millions of Americans braced for a series of brutal storms this winter, the senior official in charge of the federal government’s disaster response had been on the job only a few weeks — and had previously claimed on podcasts that he once teleported to a Waffle House”

CNN

He detailed on multiple podcasts how he claimed to have been involuntarily teleported, including one instance where he ended up at a Waffle House in Rome, Georgia, approximately 50 miles away from where he initially was.

'Teleporting is no fun,' Phillips stated, explaining that the experiences were frightening and uncontrollable.

He also claimed his vehicle 'lifted up' while he was driving and carried him roughly 40 miles from Albany, Georgia, before setting him down in a ditch near a church.

The podcast where he made these claims, 'Onward,' is co-hosted by Catherine Engelbrecht, a conservative activist who frequently collaborates with Phillips in promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud.

Beyond his teleportation claims, Phillips has promoted other conspiracy theories including suggestions that both Covid-19 and the vaccine were designed to kill people.

He also asserted that top officials at the Department of Homeland Security after the failed attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024 were 'planning the next assassination attempt.'

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In response to CNN's reporting, a FEMA spokesperson dismissed the concerns as 'so silly it's barely worth acknowledging,' claiming that 'DHS, FEMA, and Mr. Phillips are focused on the critical mission of emergency management and ensuring the safety of the American people.'

The spokesperson attempted to contextualize Phillips' controversial comments as 'personal, informal, jovial, and somewhat spiritual discussions made in the context of barely surviving cancer; in a private capacity prior to his current role.'

Phillips is scheduled to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee next Wednesday regarding the impacts of the DHS shutdown.