🔗 Share this article

This week, Indonesia's leader Prabowo Subianto thought he was having a private conversation with American leader Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

However, a live microphone situation captured Prabowo asking Trump to organize a meeting with his son Don Jr, both of whom serve as executives at the family business.

It represented only one in a series of gaffes 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 this September, China's leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were recorded discussing organ replacement as a method for prolonging life.

"Vital organs can be repeatedly transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become, and you can even reach eternal life," Putin's interpreter was recorded stating.

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

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

'Water Lapping at Your Door'

Ex-Australia border protection chief Peter Dutton faced criticism in 2015 when he joked about the situation of people in the Pacific experiencing rising sea levels.

Dutton was conversing with then-prime minister Tony Abbott, who had just returned from climate change talks with Pacific Island leaders in Port Moresby.

Observing how a migration discussion was running on "Cape York time", Abbott replied: "There was a similar situation up in Port Moresby."

Dutton commented: "Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door."

These remarks provoked anger from regional nations and climate activists, while the political opponents called for Dutton to apologise.

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 faced a constituent who questioned him on migration and the economy.

Remaining connected to a Sky news microphone when he entered the car, Brown was heard saying: "That was a disaster – they should never have put me with that woman. Who thought of that? Absurd."

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

The scandal dominated headlines for weeks and Brown went on to lose the election.

'I Cannot Bear Netanyahu. He Lies.'

Former US president Barack Obama was in discussion at the international conference in Cannes in 2011 with then French president Nicolas Sarkozy when their comments about Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu were captured by a live microphone.

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

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

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

Cheney answered: "Absolutely, that's true, definitely."

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000