Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was seen wearing an arm sling following surgery to repair his rotator cuff, but he appears to have taken it off while doing a press conference.
According to The Daily Beast, "Kennedy’s left arm was secured with a black sling as he attended an event for Ag Day, which celebrates agriculture, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On March 10, Kennedy underwent surgery for an injured rotator cuff and had planned to return to work the following week, according to the National Review. Doctors advise patients to immobilize their affected arm in a sling for four to six weeks after surgery, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons."
However, per the report, "While speaking at the podium, Kennedy appeared to have removed his sling."
Kennedy, 72, was appointed in charge of U.S. health policy, despite a lack of qualifications and a long history of pushing conspiracy theories about vaccines and other medical science, in part as a move to keep his alternative medicine devotees in the Trump camp. He has since spearheaded an initiative dubbed MAHA, or "Make America Healthy Again."
As part of this, Kennedy has posed for bizarre shots of himself doing vigorous gym workouts shirtless, sometimes alongside right-wing celebrities like Kid Rock.
"Joining Kennedy at the event, where the USDA announced its new 'Product of USA' label, were Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Dr. Mehmet Oz, North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, and EPA administrator Lee Zeldin. 'Consumers will now be able to Eat Real American Food with confidence that the meat, poultry, and egg products they buy are 100% a product of the United States,' the Health Department wrote in a post shared on X." The "Product of USA" labeling rules were first proposed and initiated by the Biden administration in 2024, but were only recently finalized under the Trump administration.