Slip-ups From World Leaders Believing No One Is Listening

Recently, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto thought he was having a confidential discussion with US President Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

However, a live microphone situation revealed Prabowo asking Trump to arrange a call with his son Eric, who hold positions at the Trump organization.

It represented only one in a series of gaffes made by international figures thinking they're off the record.

Here are several additional noteworthy blunders:

Transplant Procedures and Immortality

At a military parade in Beijing this September, 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 longer you live, the more youthful you get, and it's possible to even achieve immortality," the Russian translator was heard saying.

Xi, who was not visible, responded in Chinese: "Experts forecast that in the current era humans 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 made light about the plight of people in the Pacific facing ocean encroachment.

Dutton was speaking to then-prime minister Tony Abbott, who had just returned from climate change talks with regional heads in Port Moresby.

Observing how a meeting about refugees was running on "Cape York time", Abbott replied: "We had a similar situation up in Port Moresby."

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

The comments provoked anger from Pacific Islands and environmentalists, while the opposition Labor party demanded Dutton to issue an apology.

Peter Dutton overheard joking with Tony Abbott about rising sea levels

'Bigoted Woman'

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

Still wired up to a broadcast microphone when he entered the car, Brown was heard saying: "That went terribly – they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? Absurd."

When questioned about 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 Can't Stand Netanyahu. He Lies.'

Former US president Barack Obama was in discussion at the G20 summit in Cannes in 2011 with France's leader Nicolas Sarkozy when their remarks about Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu were captured by a live microphone.

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

According to a version from a French interpreter quoted by Reuters, Obama responded: "You've had enough but I have to deal with him frequently than you."

'Major League ***hole'

A vintage hot-mic moment from then US presidential candidate George W. Bush occurred when he made a disparaging remark about a reporter from The New York Times.

The GOP candidate was unaware that a recording device was active when he leaned over to Dick Cheney at a political event and remarked, "There's Adam Clymer, major league asshole from the New York Times."

Cheney responded: "Oh yeah, he is, definitely."

Bush at a Labour rally in 2000
Timothy Hanson
Timothy Hanson

Award-winning journalist with a passion for investigative reporting and storytelling, based in London.