Slip-ups From Global Leaders When They Think They're in Private

Recently, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto thought he was having a private conversation with American leader Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

Instead, a hot-mic incident captured Prabowo requesting Trump to organize a meeting with his son Don Jr, who hold positions at the Trump organization.

This was just one in a string of missteps made by world leaders thinking no one can hear them.

Below are five other memorable errors:

Transplant Procedures and Immortality

At a military parade in Beijing in early autumn, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's head Vladimir Putin were recorded talking about organ transplants as a method for prolonging life.

"Human organs can be repeatedly transplanted. The more you extend your life, the more youthful you get, and you can even reach eternal life," Putin's interpreter was heard saying.

Xi, who was off camera, responded in Chinese: "Experts forecast that in this century humans 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'

Former Australian border protection chief Peter Dutton faced criticism in 2015 when he joked about the situation of people in the Pacific facing ocean encroachment.

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

Observing how a meeting about refugees was running on "delayed schedule", Abbott responded: "We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby."

Dutton commented: "Schedules become irrelevant when you're about to have water lapping at your door."

The comments provoked anger from Pacific Islands and climate activists, while the opposition Labor party called for Dutton to apologise.

Peter Dutton recorded making jokes with Tony Abbott about coastal flooding

'Bigoted Woman'

While serving as UK PM Gordon Brown was on the trail in 2010, he encountered a voter who questioned him on migration and the economy.

Still wired up to a broadcast microphone when he entered the car, Brown was recorded stating: "That was a disaster – they should not have placed me with that woman. Who thought of that? Absurd."

Asked what she had said, he replied: "Everything, she was just a bigoted woman."

This incident received extensive coverage for an extended period and Brown ultimately lost the election.

'I Cannot Bear Netanyahu. He's a Liar.'

Ex-American leader Barack Obama was in discussion 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 captured by a live microphone.

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

Per a version from a French interpreter quoted by Reuters, Obama replied: "You've had enough but I must work with him more often than you."

'Major League ***hole'

A vintage hot-mic moment from former White House hopeful George W. Bush occurred when he made a disparaging remark about a reporter from The New York Times.

The GOP candidate was didn't realize that a recording device was active when he leaned over to Dick Cheney at a Labor Day rally and said, "There's Adam Clymer, complete jerk from the New York Times."

Cheney answered: "Absolutely, he is, big time."

Bush at a political gathering in 2000
Charles Quinn
Charles Quinn

A passionate home organizer and DIY enthusiast with over a decade of experience in creating functional and stylish spaces.