Blunders Made by Global Leaders When They Think They're in Private

Recently, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto thought he was having a confidential discussion with US President Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

Instead, a hot-mic incident revealed Prabowo requesting Trump to organize a call with his son Don Jr, who hold positions at the family business.

It represented only one in a series of missteps made by international figures when they assume they're off the record.

Below are several additional memorable errors:

Organ Transplants and Immortality

At a military parade in Beijing in early autumn, China's leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were recorded talking about organ transplants as a approach for prolonging life.

"Vital organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and it's possible to even achieve immortality," the Russian translator was recorded stating.

Xi, who was not visible, responded in Chinese: "Some predict that in this century people may live to 150 years old."

A conversation recorded from China's leader Xi Jinping and Moscow's head Vladimir Putin

'Sea Rising at Your Door'

Ex-Australia immigration minister Peter Dutton faced criticism in 2015 when he joked about the plight of residents in the Pacific facing ocean encroachment.

Dutton was conversing with former PM Tony Abbott, who had recently come back from climate change talks with Pacific Island leaders in Port Moresby.

Noting that a migration discussion was running on "Cape York time", Abbott responded: "We had a similar situation up in Port Moresby."

Dutton commented: "Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door."

The comments sparked outrage from Pacific Islands and climate activists, while the political opponents demanded Dutton to issue an apology.

Peter Dutton overheard joking with Tony Abbott about coastal flooding

'Prejudiced Voter'

While serving as UK PM Gordon Brown was on the trail in 2010, he encountered a constituent who challenged him on immigration and the economy.

Remaining connected to a Sky news microphone when he entered the car, Brown was heard saying: "That went terribly – they should not have placed me with that individual. Who thought of that? Ridiculous."

When questioned about she had said, he replied: "All topics, she was just a bigoted woman."

The scandal received extensive coverage for an extended period and Brown went on to lose the election.

'I Cannot Bear Netanyahu. He Lies.'

Ex-American leader Barack Obama was in conversation at the G20 summit in Cannes in 2011 with then French president Nicolas Sarkozy when their comments about Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu were picked up by a live microphone.

Sarkozy stated: "I can't stand Netanyahu. He deceives."

Per a account from a translator cited by Reuters, Obama replied: "You're fed up with him but I have to deal with him more often than you."

'Total ***hole'

A vintage hot-mic moment from former White House hopeful George W. Bush happened as he made a negative comment about a reporter from The New York Times.

The GOP candidate was unaware that a microphone was live when he turned to Dick Cheney at a political event and remarked, "There's Adam Clymer, major league asshole from the New York Times."

Cheney answered: "Absolutely, he is, definitely."

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000
Mike Patterson
Mike Patterson

Tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for emerging technologies and their impact on society.