Donald Trump caught in bizarre hot mic moment after signing peace deal | World | News

In a surreal addendum to one of his greatest diplomatic victories, US President Donald Trump was overheard on a hot microphone requesting a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s son Eric, minutes after the landmark ceasefire in Gaza was signed. The strange exchange unfolded on Monday at the Gaza Summit, a high-stakes meeting where Mr. Trump met in Egypt to unveil his plan to end the two-year Israel-Hamas war.

Surrounded by global heavyweights, Mr Trump signed the first phase peace plan and said: “It’s taken 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it will hold up. It will hold up.” The deal, struck amid intense shuttle diplomacy, marks a potential turning point in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and destabilized the Middle East.

But when the ink dried and the cameras started buzzing, the live microphone gave away something unusual. Leaning down as Mr. Trump prepared to walk away, Mr. Subianto muttered: “This is in an area and it’s not safe, it’s safe.”

Mr. Trump’s muffled response ended, but Mr. Subianto blurted out: “Can I meet Eric?”

The US President paused with a faint chuckle before praising his second son: “What a good kid.”

He appeared to give the appointment the green light, ending with enthusiastic warmth, calling Mr. Subianto “wonderful” and adding, “Thank you, man, I like you telling me that. We don’t need this.”

The stock market quickly gained attention on social media.

The summit brought together the who’s who of international diplomacy: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as well as executives from Qatar, the UAE, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar’s Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Notably, Hamas representatives and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who cited the Jewish holiday as the reason for his absence, were present.

Eric wasn’t actually there, but Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka was hugging her father when she arrived and received a standing ovation in parliament alongside her husband Jared Kushner.

Mr. Kushner, the architect of the Abraham Accords during Mr. Trump’s first term, worked with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to complete the Egypt talks. Once a fixture at the White House, Ivanka now generally stays away from official duties.

Mr Subianto’s offer was not entirely unexpected. Mr Trump has deep business roots in Indonesia and earned £10.5 million from ventures there between 2015 and 2019, including luxury villas in Indonesia, a residence in West Java and the Trump International Golf Club near Jakarta.

The pair’s closeness, evident in the microphone gaffe, appeared to hint at how personal ties grease Mr. Trump’s deal-making machine.

Critics called the moment a “blatant trend of nepotism” amid serious dangers. Still, supporters hailed it as Mr. Trump’s unfiltered workplace charm; It’s proof that the 45th president (now the 47th) is good at blending boardroom banter with world-class gravitas.

As the fragile first phase of the ceasefire begins, the hot mic serves as a reminder: In Mr. Trump’s orbit, peace agreements come with a familial footnote.