Blunders From Global Heads of State When They Think They're in Private

This week, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto believed he was a private conversation with American leader Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

Instead, a live microphone situation revealed Prabowo requesting Trump to organize a meeting with his son Eric, who serve as executives at the Trump organization.

This was just one in a string of missteps made by world leaders when they assume they're off the record.

Below are five other noteworthy errors:

Organ Transplants and Immortality

At a military parade in Beijing this September, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's head Vladimir Putin were overheard discussing organ transplants as a method for prolonging life.

"Human organs can be repeatedly transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and it's possible to even reach eternal life," the Russian translator 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 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 people in the Pacific experiencing rising sea levels.

Dutton was speaking to former PM Tony Abbott, who had recently come back from climate change 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 bit of that up in Port Moresby."

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

The comments sparked outrage from Pacific Islands and environmentalists, while the political opponents called for Dutton to apologise.

Peter Dutton overheard joking with Tony Abbott about rising sea levels

'Prejudiced Voter'

As Labour prime minister Gordon Brown was campaigning in 2010, he encountered a voter who questioned him on immigration and the economy.

Remaining connected to a Sky news microphone when he got into his vehicle, Brown was recorded stating: "That went terribly – they should not have placed me with that woman. Who thought of that? Ridiculous."

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

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

'I Cannot Bear Netanyahu. He Lies.'

Ex-American leader Barack Obama was in discussion at the international conference in Cannes in 2011 with then French president Nicolas Sarkozy when their remarks about Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu were picked up by a live microphone.

Sarkozy said: "I can't stand Netanyahu. He's a liar."

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

'Major League ***hole'

A vintage recording incident 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, big time."

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000
Kimberly Adams
Kimberly Adams

Financial analyst with over a decade of experience in global markets and economic forecasting.