In a surreal postscript to one of his biggest diplomatic wins, US President Donald Trump was overheard on a hot mic fielding a request from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to meet his son Eric – moments after inking a landmark Gaza ceasefire. The awkward exchange unfolded on Monday at the Gaza Summit, a high-stakes gathering Mr Trump convened in Egypt to unveil his blueprint for ending the two-year Israel-Hamas war.
Flanked by global heavyweights, Mr Trump signed off on the first-phase peace plan, beaming as he declared: “This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up too. It’s going to hold up.” The deal, brokered amid intense shuttle diplomacy, marks a potential turning point in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and destabilised the Middle East.
But as the ink dried and cameras whirred, a live microphone betrayed an offbeat aside. Mr Subianto, leaning in as Mr Trump prepared to step away, murmured: “It’s in a region and not safe, secure.”
Mr Trump’s muffled reply trailed off, only for Mr Subianto to blurt: “Can I meet Eric?”
The US President halted, chuckling indistinctly before praising his second son: “Such a good boy.”
He appeared to green-light the rendezvous, wrapping up with effusive warmth, calling Mr Subianto “fantastic” and adding, “Thank you my friend, I like that you told me that. We don’t need that.”
The exchange rapidly gained traction on social media.
The summit drew a who’s who of international diplomacy: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, plus rulers from Qatar, the UAE, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Qatar’s Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Conspicuously absent were Hamas representatives and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who cited a Jewish holiday for his no-show.
Eric was not actually present but Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka was, hugging her father on arrival and drawing a standing ovation in parliament alongside husband Jared Kushner.
Mr Kushner, architect of the Abraham Accords in Mr Trump’s first term, teamed with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to seal the Egypt talks. Ivanka, once a White House fixture, now generally steers clear of official duties.
Mr Subianto’s overture was not entirely unexpected. Mr Trump harbours deep business roots in Indonesia, raking in £10.5 million from ventures there between 2015 and 2019 – including luxe Bali villas, a West Java residence, and the Trump International Golf Club near Jakarta.
The duo’s rapport, evident in the mic gaffe, appeared to hint at how personal ties grease Mr Trump’s deal-making machine.
Critics dubbed the moment a “blatant nepotism flex” amid grave stakes. Yet supporters hailed it as Mr Trump’s unfiltered charm at work – proof the 45th president (now 47th) thrives on blending boardroom banter with world-stage gravitas.
As the ceasefire’s fragile first phase kicks in, the hot mic serves as a reminder: in Mr Trump’s orbit, peace deals come with a family footnote.