Blunders From Global Leaders Believing They're in Private

This week, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto thought he was having a confidential discussion with US President Donald Trump during Middle East peace talks in Egypt.

Instead, a hot-mic incident captured Prabowo requesting Trump to organize a meeting with his son Don Jr, both of whom serve as executives at the Trump organization.

It represented only one in a string of gaffes made by world leaders when they assume they're off the record.

Here are five other memorable errors:

Organ Transplants and Everlasting Life

During a defense ceremony in Beijing in early autumn, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were recorded discussing organ transplants as a method for extending lifespan.

"Human organs can be repeatedly replaced. The more you extend your life, the more youthful you get, and it's possible to even achieve immortality," Putin's interpreter was recorded stating.

Xi, who was off camera, answered in Chinese: "Experts forecast that in this century people may reach 150 years old."

Dialogue recorded from Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin

'Sea Rising at Your Door'

Former Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton faced criticism in 2015 when he joked about the situation of residents in the Pacific facing ocean encroachment.

Dutton was speaking to former PM Tony Abbott, who had recently come back from climate change talks with regional heads in Port Moresby.

Noting that a meeting about refugees was running on "delayed schedule", Abbott replied: "There was a bit of that up in Port Moresby."

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

These remarks sparked outrage from regional nations and climate activists, while the political opponents demanded Dutton to issue an apology.

Peter Dutton overheard joking with Tony Abbott about rising sea levels

'Prejudiced Voter'

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

Still wired up to a Sky news microphone when he entered the car, Brown was recorded stating: "That was a disaster – they should not have placed me with that woman. Whose idea was that? Ridiculous."

When questioned about she had said, he answered: "Everything, she was just a prejudiced person."

The scandal dominated headlines for an extended period and Brown ultimately lost the election.

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

Former US president Barack Obama was in conversation 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 stated: "I can't stand Netanyahu. He's a liar."

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

'Major League ***hole'

A vintage recording incident from then US presidential candidate George W. Bush happened as he made a negative comment 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, major league asshole from the New York Times."

Cheney answered: "Oh yeah, that's true, big time."

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000
Mr. Jared Johnson
Mr. Jared Johnson

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