RFK Jr's infamous duck ringtone strikes again, quacking right through his autism speech

ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA: Robert F Kennedy Jr was in Rochester, Minnesota on Friday, August 21,talking about a serious problem involving missing autistic children when his phone suddenly provided a very different soundtrack: a duck loudly quacking from his pocket.

The Health and Human Services secretary briefly stopped mid-sentence as the unexpected ringtone echoed through the room.

He apologized, silenced the phone and carried on but by then, the room had already had its lighter moment.

RFK Jr's phone 'quacks' again

Kennedy was visiting Rochester to highlight local efforts to locate people with autism who go missing, particularly those who may wander away from caregivers.

He was discussing the dangers involved when he was interrupted.

“Drowning is the leading cause of death associated with wandering children with autism are 100 times more likely to drown than neurotypical children,” Kennedy said before the quacking began.

He quickly realized what was happening.

“Sorry about that,” Kennedy said as he reached for the phone and shut off the ringtone.

Kennedy then returned to his point, emphasizing that first responders need to act quickly when an autistic person goes missing and should have information about the person's communication style, potential risks and likely places to search.

The visit also marked the launch of the National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert Initiative, a new federal effort involving HHS, the Department of Justice and FEMA.

The program is intended to improve coordination between families, communities and law enforcement when an autistic person is reported missing.

RFK Jr's ringtone made headlines earlier

This is not actually Kennedy's first brush with his very unusual ringtone becoming a public event.

The duck has already made a White House appearance.

Kennedy's phone previously stole the spotlight during a White House press briefing on January 7, 2026.

That time, Kennedy was discussing the Trump administration's new dietary guidelines when the same unmistakable sound came from his phone: ducks quacking.

The interruption prompted laughter from reporters and officials.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins immediately found a way to connect the unexpected animal noise to the subject at hand.

“Duck is also high in protein,” Rollins joked, before adding that duck was “a good thing to eat.”

So when the duck returned during Kennedy's Rochester appearance, it was less an isolated ringtone mishap and more like the sequel nobody had asked for.