Trump’s Disaster Response Chief Believes He Was Teleported to a Waffle House Gregg Phillips, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) top official overseeing disaster response, has claimed he was once teleported to a Waffle House in Georgia. The former conservative activist, appointed in December to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, made the bizarre assertion during a January 2025 episode of the podcast Onward, which was reported by CNN. Phillips described the experience as real, though he admitted it was “no fun.” During the podcast, co-hosted by conservative activist Catherine Engelbrecht, Phillips recounted an incident in which he said he teleported miles across Georgia. “I was with my boys one time, and I was telling them I was gonna go to Waffle House and get Waffle House,” he said. “And I ended up at a Waffle House – this was in Georgia, and I end up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was.” Phillips claimed he was questioned by people at the Waffle House about his location, with one asking, “Where are you?” He responded, “A Waffle House,” and when asked, “A Waffle House where?” he replied, “Waffle House in Rome, Georgia.” The people at the location reportedly said, “That’s not possible, you just left here a moment ago,” but Phillips insisted it was real. He described the experience as frightening, noting that while it was “so real,” he had no control over it. “It’s no fun because you don’t really know what you’re doing. You don’t really understand it, it’s scary, but yet um – 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.#fema #gregg_phillips #waffle_house #onward_podcast #catherine_engelbrecht
FEMA Official Claims Teleportation to Waffle House During Podcast Appearances Gregg Phillips, a senior official at the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has claimed on multiple podcasts that he was teleported to a Waffle House, a 24-hour diner chain, during incidents he described as involuntary. Phillips, who was appointed in December 2024 to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, made the statements during a January 2025 episode of the podcast Onward, co-hosted by right-wing activist Catherine Engelbrecht. In one instance, Phillips recounted being “lifted up” while driving and transported 40 miles to a ditch near a church. In another account, he said he was teleported 50 miles to a Waffle House in Rome, Georgia, after telling his companions he was heading to the chain for breakfast. “I was with my boys one time, and I was telling them I was gonna go to Waffle House and get Waffle House,” he said. “And I ended up at a Waffle House—this was in Georgia, and I end up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was.” When asked how that was possible, Phillips insisted it was real, stating, “That’s not possible, you just left here a moment ago. But it was possible. It was real.” Phillips also warned about the “dangers” of teleportation, calling it “no fun.” He described the experience as an “incredible adventure” but noted that individuals have no control over it, only the ability to “go with the ride.” Waffle House, known for its 24/7 service, has been referenced by former FEMA director Craig Fugate as an indicator of disaster severity. Fugate once remarked that if a Waffle House is closed during a crisis, “that’s really bad. That’s where you go to work.” As director of FEMA’s largest division, Phillips oversees decisions about federal disaster declarations and aid.#fema #gregg_phillips #waffle_house #onward_podcast #catherine_engelbrecht
