"We will not change our decision": Qatari Prime Minister sees "no controversy" over plane given to Trump

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani sees "no controversy" in his country's desire to offer Donald Trump a new presidential jet , and expressed surprise Wednesday that the matter had been "politicized in this way." "We will not do anything illegal. If there was something illegal, we would have had many ways to conceal this type of transaction so that it would not be visible to the public," Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in an interview with CNN.

"This is a very clear exchange between two governments, these are things that we see all over the world. I don't see any controversy, and I don't know why it has taken another direction and been politicized in this way," he added. The royal family of the small gas emirate is about to offer the United States a Boeing 747-8 , estimated at $400 million by experts and described by American media as a "palace in the sky."

This donation raises the question of potential conflicts of interest, especially since the US Constitution prohibits public officials from accepting gifts "from a king, a prince, or a foreign state." "We will not change our decision. If there is something that the United States needs, and it is completely legal and we can, we are able to help and support the United States, and we do not hesitate to do so. We are proud people, and if something comes out of Qatar for the United States, it is out of love. It is not in exchange for anything," Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani further promised.

Donald Trump defended his decision to accept the Qatari Boeing on Monday , saying it would be "stupid" to refuse such a gift, which he plans to use as his new presidential jet. The affair has sparked outrage among the Republican billionaire's opponents. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday denounced the Qatari gift as "pure corruption" and announced he would halt the confirmation of Trump's Justice Department appointments.