The third-ranking official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency is stepping away, according to the Washington Post.
Gregg Phillips is on leave after he was “asked to step away from his role because of concerns about how he’s publicly perceived,” a person familiar with the situation told the Washington Post in a new report.
Phillips claimed that God teleported him to a Waffle House 50 miles away and then doubled down by posting “haters gonna hate” in a Truth Social post.
“Teleporting is no fun,” Phillips said on a podcast last year. “It was real.”
Journalists weren’t the only ones floored. Trump asked, “Was he kidding?” when pressed for a response. A White House official told CNN that he was sidelined after the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA’s parent agency, was urged to remove him from public view.
“Everyone’s thoughts were, ‘What the hell is this? This guy has got to go,’” a White House official reportedly said earlier this year.
The Washington Post noted that Phillips also made controversial claims about millions of “noncitizens” voting illegally in the 2016 election. The comments surfaced after former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appointed Phillips in December.
“Phillips also did not have any official, prominent experience managing emergencies,” the Post noted. According to the Post, Phillips oversaw “critical, fast-moving operations” and an office that “puts equipment and other supplies in place before hurricanes hit.”
DHS officials confirmed to the Washington Post on Thursday that Phillips had gone on leave. The Post also noted other leadership shake-ups in the Trump administration, including FEMA official Cameron Hamilton, who was forced out after objecting to dismantling the agency.
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