Trending Now - RFK Jr. Joins Controversial Heart Surgery Procedure Live
WHO:
The Daily Beast - President Donald Trump’s health secretary, who struggled with a heroin addiction for 14 years, participated in the event.
The Daily Beast - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. participated in a health tour.
The Daily Beast - President Donald Trump’s health secretary visited Ohio.
The Daily Beast - Tom Mihaljevic is the CEO of the Cleveland Clinic.
The Daily Beast - Amanda Seitz is the author of the article discussing the event.
The Daily Beast - Vamsi Aribindi is a surgeon who commented on the event.
WHAT:
The Daily Beast - Kennedy “briefly tested the teaching console” while a patient was undergoing surgery, according to KFF Health News.
The Daily Beast - Amanda Seitz stated that the Cleveland Clinic clarified that the robotic hands were disconnected during Kennedy's interaction with the console.
Newsweek - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. briefly operated the robotic arms during a live patient’s heart surgery.
The Daily Beast - Kennedy tested a robotic surgery machine while a patient was undergoing open-heart surgery.
The Daily Beast - Kennedy was given extraordinary access to a patient who was “splayed open for heart surgery.”
The Daily Beast - The Cleveland Clinic clarified that Kennedy “did not operate robotic hands on a heart surgery patient.”
The Daily Beast - Kennedy sat at a disconnected teaching console while doctors worked on the patient.
WHERE:
The Daily Beast - The event took place in Ohio.
The Daily Beast - The Cleveland Clinic is located in Ohio.
WHEN:
The Daily Beast - The health tour is part of Kennedy's “Take Back Your Health” initiative.
WHY:
The Daily Beast - Kennedy expressed his intention to “dismantle a corrupt system and replace it with something better” during the health tour.
The Daily Beast - Kennedy stated, “I am dismantling a corrupt system and replacing it with something better, replacing it with something that actually addresses the declining healthy American population.”
HOW:
The Daily Beast - A surgeon explained that Kennedy could manipulate the console without affecting the surgery as long as he did not hit the swap pedal to take control of the instruments.
The Daily Beast - The Cleveland Clinic uses “robot-assisted technology to deliver safer, more precise, and minimally invasive procedures.”
The Daily Beast - The Da Vinci robotic surgery system uses an endoscopic camera and four robotic arms controlled by a surgeon.
The Daily Beast - A clinic spokesperson explained that Kennedy was able to observe the operation via the console but did not operate anything.
(UPDATED May 14, 2026 17:35 UTC)
President Trump’s health secretary, who has battled a heroin addiction for 14 years, participated in an event where Kennedy briefly tested a teaching console while a patient was undergoing surgery. The Cleveland Clinic clarified that the robotic hands were disconnected during Kennedy's interaction, and a surgeon noted that he could manipulate the console without impacting the surgery as long as he avoided hitting the swap pedal. During the health tour, Kennedy expressed his intention to “dismantle a corrupt system and replace it with something better.”
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(UPDATED May 14, 2026 15:48 UTC)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently participated in a health tour in Ohio, where he briefly operated the robotic arms of a surgical machine during a live heart surgery, although the Cleveland Clinic clarified that he did not actually perform any surgery. While Kennedy was given extraordinary access to observe the procedure, he sat at a disconnected teaching console while the medical team handled the operation. This event is part of Kennedy's “Take Back Your Health” initiative, aimed at addressing concerns about the declining health of the American population.