There’s always something special about “hot mic” incidents. Most public figures prefer to avoid self-imposed controversies, so they tend to be guarded and cautious in public, recognizing the importance of staying on message.
But when they’re overheard on a live microphone, the public gets to hear these prominent voices speak their minds, unaware that their comments will reach a broad audience. The result is something most of us rarely get from political figures: unvarnished candor.
This week offered a classic of the genre. Reuters reported:
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto asked U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday if he could meet with Trump’s son Eric, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, according to comments by the leaders picked up by a microphone after Trump had addressed a Gaza-focused summit in Egypt. Trump and Prabowo, who were also seen on video, appeared to be unaware that a live microphone was recording their conversation.
In context, Trump was in Egypt to deliver remarks to an international audience regarding the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. As part of the gathering, the American president interacted with a variety of global leaders, including Subianto — who apparently had a request unrelated to the topic at hand.
Trump's conversation with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is caught on a hot mic. Hard to tell exactly what they are talking about, but Subianto asks Trump about meeting Eric Trump and Don Jr, who supposedly have nothing to do with government while they run the family business.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-10-13T17:42:35.325Z
The audio is a little tough to make out, but the Indonesian leader clearly asked the Republican, “Can I meet Eric?” Trump apparently responded that he’d have his son call Subianto.
The White House didn’t comment on the exchange, and neither did the Trump Organization or Indonesia’s foreign minister’s office. While their collective reluctance to talk about this was understandable, the circumstances were far from ideal: Eric Trump has no role in the United States government. There is no reason why the American president would use an international gathering to help arrange a meeting between one of his adult sons — who, incidentally, runs Trump’s family business — and the head of state of a foreign country. What’s more, let’s also not forget that just 11 days before the Indonesian president said he wanted to “meet Eric,” Eric Trump posted an item to social media bragging about a resort called Trump International Lido, which he said “offers an unrivaled golf experience set against the most majestic mountains and backdrop in Indonesia.” What are the odds that congressional Republicans, who practically hyperventilated for years about business deals involving members of Joe Biden’s family, might take an interest in this? What do you suppose those same GOP members would do if a foreign head of state were overheard asking Biden at an international meeting, “Can I meet Hunter?”
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
Latest Post
Recommended
