🔗 Share this article

This week, Indonesia's leader Prabowo Subianto thought he was having a confidential discussion with American leader Donald Trump during Middle East peace talks in Egypt.

Instead, a live microphone situation captured Prabowo asking Trump to organize a call with his son Eric, both of whom hold positions at the family business.

It represented only one in a series of gaffes committed by world leaders when they assume no one can hear them.

Here are several additional noteworthy errors:

Organ Transplants and Immortality

At a military parade in Beijing in early autumn, China's leader Xi Jinping and Russia's head Vladimir Putin were recorded discussing organ transplants as a approach for extending lifespan.

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

Xi, who was off camera, responded in Chinese: "Some predict that in this century humans may live to 150 years old."

Dialogue heard between Chinese president Xi Jinping and Moscow's head Vladimir Putin

'Sea Rising at Your Door'

Former Australian border protection chief Peter Dutton came under fire in 2015 when he joked about the plight of people in the Pacific experiencing ocean encroachment.

Dutton was speaking to then-prime minister Tony Abbott, who had recently come back from climate change talks with Pacific Island leaders in Port Moresby.

Observing how a migration discussion was running on "Cape York time", Abbott replied: "We had a similar situation 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 climate activists, while the political opponents called for Dutton to issue an apology.

Peter Dutton overheard joking with Tony Abbott about rising sea levels

'Prejudiced Voter'

As Labour prime minister Gordon Brown was on the trail in 2010, he faced a constituent who questioned him on migration and the economy.

Still wired up to a broadcast microphone when he got into his vehicle, Brown was heard saying: "That was a disaster – they should not have placed me with that individual. Whose idea was that? Absurd."

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

This incident dominated headlines for weeks and Brown went on to lose the political race.

'I Can't Stand Netanyahu. He Lies.'

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

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

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

'Total ***hole'

A vintage recording incident from then US presidential candidate George W. Bush happened as he made a negative comment about a journalist from The New York Times.

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

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

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000