The Cleveland Clinic disputes a circulating claim that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. operated a robotic arm during a patient’s heart surgery during a recent visit to the Ohio hospital. The clinic says Kennedy Jr. briefly observed a robotic heart surgery as part of a broader tour, rather than performing any procedure. In its clarification, the hospital frames the visit as observational activity. The reports being challenged describe Kennedy Jr. as having operated the robotic arms on a live patient, which the clinic denies.
A separate fact-check report notes that such allegations are circulating online and addresses whether Kennedy Jr. performed surgery. While the claim centers on operation of robotic equipment during a live procedure, the Cleveland Clinic’s statement is that he did not operate the robotic system and instead watched the surgery during the hospital’s tour activities.
