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

This week, Indonesia's leader Prabowo Subianto believed he was a confidential discussion with US President Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

Instead, a live microphone situation revealed Prabowo asking Trump to organize a meeting with his son Don Jr, both of whom hold positions at the family business.

This was just one in a series of missteps made by international figures thinking they're off the record.

Here are five other memorable blunders:

Organ Transplants and Everlasting Life

At a military parade in Beijing this September, China's leader Xi Jinping and Russia's head Vladimir Putin were recorded talking about organ transplants as a approach for prolonging life.

"Human organs can be continuously replaced. The longer you live, the more youthful you get, and you can even reach eternal life," Putin's interpreter was recorded stating.

Xi, who was off camera, answered in Chinese: "Some predict that in the current era people may reach 150 years old."

A conversation heard between China's leader Xi Jinping and Moscow's head Vladimir Putin

'Sea Rising at Your Door'

Ex-Australia immigration minister Peter Dutton came under fire in 2015 when he joked about the situation of people in the Pacific facing rising sea levels.

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

Observing how a meeting about refugees was running on "Cape York time", Abbott responded: "We had a similar situation up in Port Moresby."

Dutton added: "Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have the ocean reaching your home."

The comments sparked outrage from regional nations and climate activists, while the opposition Labor party called for Dutton to apologise.

Peter Dutton recorded making jokes with Tony Abbott about rising sea levels

'Bigoted Woman'

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

Remaining connected to a broadcast microphone when he got into his vehicle, Brown was recorded stating: "That went terribly – they should never have put me with that woman. Who thought of that? Ridiculous."

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

The scandal received extensive coverage for weeks and Brown went on to lose the election.

'I Can't Stand Netanyahu. He's a Liar.'

Former US president Barack Obama was in discussion at the G20 summit in Cannes in 2011 with then French president Nicolas Sarkozy when their remarks about Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu were picked up by a live microphone.

Sarkozy said: "I cannot bear Netanyahu. He's a liar."

Per a account from a French interpreter quoted by Reuters, Obama responded: "You've had enough but I must work with him frequently than you."

'Total ***hole'

A classic recording incident from then US presidential candidate George W. Bush occurred when he made a negative comment about a journalist from The New York Times.

The Republican presidential nominee was unaware that a recording device was active when he leaned over to Dick Cheney at a political event and remarked, "That's Adam Clymer, complete jerk from the New York Times."

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

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000
Tyler Holmes
Tyler Holmes

A passionate music enthusiast and cultural critic with a background in ethnomusicology.