Gregg Phillips Ousted from FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery

In December 2025 the White House appointed Gregg Phillips to lead FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, a senior role overseeing disaster response. Prior to his appointment, Phillips promoted false 2020-election fraud claims, issued violent rhetoric toward political opponents, warned that migrants were “coming to kill Americans,” and repeatedly asserted that he had been “physically teleported” to a Waffle House in Georgia.

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• Gregg Phillips – former head of FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery.

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• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – agency that confirmed Phillips’ departure.

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• FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency, overseen by DHS.

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• Kristi Noem – then-Secretary of Homeland Security, who, with chief-of-staff Corey Lewandowski, pursued aggressive budget cuts and structural changes at FEMA.

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• President Donald Trump – commented publicly on Phillips’ teleportation claim.

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• David Arnold – senior FEMA official slated to serve in an acting capacity after Phillips’ exit.

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• December 2025 – Phillips appointed to FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery.

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• January 2025 – Phillips recounts a teleportation incident on a right-wing podcast.

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• March 2026 – CNN reports on Phillips’ outlandish statements, sparking national scrutiny.

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• June 25 2026 – DHS announces Phillips is leaving FEMA; sources indicate the move was not voluntary.

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The Department of Homeland Security said Phillips is “taking leave for personal reasons.” FEMA, in a statement to The Washington Post, asserted that Phillips “has played a pivotal role in stabilizing the Office of Response and Recovery and advancing key reforms to strengthen our mission delivery.” President Trump remarked that Phillips’ teleportation claims “sounds a little strange” and pledged to investigate.

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CNN and The Washington Post highlighted Phillips’ history of election-fraud promotion, violent political rhetoric, and anti-immigrant warnings. Sources cited within the reports said new DHS leadership grew “weary of the embarrassment” surrounding Phillips’ public image and his periodic clashes with other department leaders.

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A discrepancy exists between DHS’s public framing of Phillips’ departure as a personal leave and insider sources who describe it as a forced ouster due to “embarrassment” and internal conflicts. No detailed explanation of any formal investigation or disciplinary process has been released.

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• “haters gonna hate.” — Gregg Phillips, social-media comment

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• “sounds a little strange” — Donald Trump, CNN interview

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• “I know nothing about teleporting or him, but I’ll find out about it right now.” — Donald Trump, CNN interview

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• “has played a pivotal role in stabilizing the Office of Response and Recovery and advancing key reforms to strengthen our mission delivery.” — FEMA, statement to The Washington Post

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Phillips’ removal raises questions about leadership stability and public confidence in FEMA’s disaster-response mission. The agency announced that senior official David Arnold will assume the Office of Response and Recovery in an acting capacity while DHS reviews internal governance and communication protocols.

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