Key Facts

• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
• A story originally claimed he briefly operated robotic surgical hands on a live patient during heart surgery.
• Cleveland Clinic stated the robotic system was disconnected from the patient during Kennedy Jr.’s use.
• The reporter who wrote the story updated it after being informed of the clinic’s clarification.
• A surgeon explained that Kennedy Jr. could use the console without affecting the patient unless he took specific control actions.
• Social media users shared the initial report, raising safety and consent concerns.
• The article was corrected to remove the false claim.
• The overall claim that Kennedy Jr. performed heart surgery on a live patient is untrue.