No, this isn't The Onion.

A far-right conspiracy theorist turned high-ranking official at the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) claims to have once teleported to a Waffle House.

Gregg Phillips, who in December was appointed to lead Fema’s office of response and recovery, has spoken on “multiple podcasts” about being teleported against his will, CNN reported on Friday.

On a January 2025 podcast appearance, Phillips claimed that his car was “lifted up” while he was driving and transported 40 miles (65km) away into a ditch near a church. And in another instance on the same episode, Phillips said he was teleported 50 miles away to a Waffle House in Rome, Georgia, CNN detailed in a deep dive into Phillips’ past public statements.

“I was with my boys one time, and I was telling them I was gonna go to Waffle House and get Waffle House. 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 said on the podcast Onward, co-hosted by rightwing activist Catherine Engelbrecht.

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[–] 27 points 7 months ago (1 child)

If only there were several common explanations for suddenly finding your self somewhere with no idea how you got there, obviously teleporting and cracks in reality are a much more plausible than acknowledging you have a drinking problem or going to a professional to get diagnosed with some mental disorder.

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  • [–] 17 points 7 months ago

    I've teleported myself to a coffee shop before. One minute I was at the bar drinking heavily and at some point after my 14th rum and coke I suddenly found myself at a Tim Hortons.

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  • [–] 16 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Alcohol plays fun games with the mind.

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  • [–] 11 points 7 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago (5 children)

    Can you believe that I've never been to a waffle house?

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Neither have I. Mind you, I'm not american nor do I have any interest in ever going there.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    Why wouldn't you have an interest in visiting waffle house? They offer more than just waffles

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    If it was an actual house made out of waffles i might be a bit more interested.

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    Only crazy people and republicans come up with stuff like this.

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  • 36 comments in c/news@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 148 points 7 months ago (3 children)
  • [–] 120 points 7 months ago (10 children)

    My dad was an alcoholic for fifty years. Learn to recognize the signs. Teleporting to a Waffle House is a big one.

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  • [–] 32 points 7 months ago* (9 children)

    For those of you Internet folks who do not know about the Awful Waffle...the waffle house is a magical restaurant that exists in the South to primarily help the government estimate how bad hurricane damage has effected the local community. As a side benefit, it also serves as a place to cure hangovers with greasy food and mediocre coffee.

    And we love them for it.

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  • [–] 24 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 child)

    There is no problem in your life that doesn't seem smaller when you walk into a Waffle House. For some, it's the comfort food. For others, the object lessons.

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  • [–] 9 points 7 months ago* (5 children)

    I'm desperate for some scattered and smothered has browns now, but I'm in Wyoming. Thank goodness for teleportation.

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Once I took my wife, then girlfriend, to a Waffle House. She ordered a BLT and hash browns.

    They gave her an odd look, but acquiesced. A short while later, they brought out a serving of hash browns into which they had mixed bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

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  • [–] 55 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    One minute I’m ordering my drink and the next I’m 50 miles away 8 hours later at a waffle house with 5 people I’ve never met before.

    It can’t be explained.

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  • [–] 36 points 7 months ago

    This isn't even a new euphemism for blackout DWI. From what I've read teleportation and alien abductions stories are not uncommon excuses.

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  • [–] 34 points 7 months ago (11 children)
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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (5 children)

    Whoa! Captain Planet reference in the wild? Love it.

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    oh man. cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, caffeine, um. im blanking. what should the fifth addicteers power be. I know drugs covers a lot and the term could cover it all but im trying to hit the most popular stuff. maybe just split drugs into weed and coke?

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  • [–] 61 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    "Teleporting is no fun”

    Yeah, you wake up feeling nauseous, dehydrated and with a massive headache.

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  • [–] 15 points 7 months ago

    The "maple syrup" he puts on his waffles.

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  • [–] [S] 18 points 7 months ago

    You just know SNL is gonna have a skit tonight on this.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago
    26 comments in c/nottheonion@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 72 points 7 months ago

    Yes, Gregg, we all know what blacking out is like.

    I know some people that can help you with this.

    https://smartrecovery.org/

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  • [–] 54 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    How can you pack so many high level idiots in a single country? truly a feat.

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  • [–] 15 points 7 months ago

    Well you see, half the voters decided it would be a good idea to elect total outsiders with no relevant education or experience, whose only qualification was a willingness to say crazy shit out loud. The unqualified outsider-in-chief has now packed high-level offices with his favorite TV and podcast personalities, who also have no relevant education or experience but have made a living saying crazy shit out loud.

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  • [–] 17 points 7 months ago

    I bet he's gonna teleport away some funds.

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  • [–] 12 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Anyone who was a party animal worth their reputation during their early twenties eventually ends up past midnight at a greasy spoon. Chowing down on comfort food trying to sober up and keep the contents of their stomach down. With them waking up in the morning hungover and little to no memory about what transpired over the course of the last twelve hours, give or take.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    First you have Waffle House, then you stay up until the donut shops open at 4 cuz let’s be serious that’s only another half hour at this point. You get too many donuts, because who doesn’t want copious amounts of sugar and fat on a stomach full of alcohol? Also because you are drunk and they all look good. Then you crash, maybe with a half-eaten donut in your hand.

    As a bonus, you wake up to something some people consider a breakfast food.

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  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago

    Nothing is too stupid for 2026!

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  • [–] 15 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Where does that land on the Waffle House Index?

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  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago*

    I find Ambien gives me the same abilities he's describing.

    Unfortunately the effects are only temporary.

    I haven't figured out how to teleport without Ambien, yet.

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  • [–] 11 points 7 months ago*

    I was with my boys one time, and I was telling them I was gonna go to Waffle House and get Waffle House. And I ended up at a Waffle House

    this was in Georgia

    Being in Georgia, I mean.

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  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago (10 children)

    I almost feel sorry for these sane USians who have to live there during Trump reign 🤣

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (7 children)

    There’s a reason I live in a van out in the boonies

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  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago* (5 children)

    Please tell me that there's a river nearby

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    Yes! I hereby declare you the second coming of Matt Foley!

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Wow, thanks, that’s quite the honor. I hope I can live up to his legacy.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    His car was lifted up and transported to a ditch 40 miles away...

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    Next we'll have the ghost of Macho Man Randy Savage running a government agency

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  • 8 comments in c/usa@midwest.social view that post
    [–] 17 points 7 months ago (5 children)

    That's just fancy talk for an addiction to dissassociative drugs like ketamine in my opinion.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    I've tripped on dissociatives a bunch and never teleported anywhere

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago* (1 child)

    Which drugs did you take ? And what are Republican fundraisers like ?

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    DXM, also known as robotripping. The out of body experience was fun, but memory was never an issue in the 50+ times I did it. And I did obscene amounts.

    And I'd rather die than go to a Republican fundraiser

    My guess is he just blacked out from drinking.

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  • [–] 15 points 7 months ago

    So he gets blackout drunk and drives to Waffle House.

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