Blunders Made by Global Leaders When They Think No One Is Listening

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

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

Here are several additional noteworthy errors:

Transplant Procedures and Everlasting Life

At a military parade in Beijing in early autumn, China's leader Xi Jinping and Russia's head Vladimir Putin were overheard talking about organ replacement as a approach for prolonging life.

"Vital organs can be continuously transplanted. The more you extend your life, the more youthful you get, and you can even reach eternal life," the Russian translator was recorded stating.

Xi, who was not visible, responded in Chinese: "Experts forecast that in the current era people may live to 150 years old."

Dialogue heard between Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian leader 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 residents in the Pacific experiencing rising sea levels.

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

Noting that a meeting about refugees was running on "Cape York time", Abbott replied: "We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby."

Dutton commented: "Time doesn't mean anything 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 overheard joking with Tony Abbott about rising sea levels

'Bigoted Woman'

As Labour prime minister Gordon Brown was on the trail in 2010, he encountered a constituent who challenged him on migration and the economic situation.

Still wired up to a Sky news microphone when he entered the car, 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 replied: "All topics, she was just a bigoted woman."

This incident dominated headlines for an extended period 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 France's leader Nicolas Sarkozy when their comments about Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu were picked up by a active recording device.

Sarkozy stated: "I cannot bear Netanyahu. He deceives."

According to a version from a translator cited by Reuters, Obama replied: "You've had enough but I must work with him more often than you."

'Major League ***hole'

A classic recording incident from then US presidential candidate George W. Bush occurred when he made a negative comment about a reporter 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 Labor Day rally and said, "There's Adam Clymer, complete jerk from the New York Times."

Cheney answered: "Oh yeah, he is, big time."

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000
Shannon Jones
Shannon Jones

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