Qatar’s prime minister dismissed claims of bribery over its offer of a Boeing jet to Donald Trump, defending the move as part of long-standing U.S.-Qatar ties amid rising media and political scrutiny.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has dismissed the controversy and criticism directed at his country over its offer to give U.S. President Donald Trump a Boeing-747-8 to use as his interim Air Force One.

“I don’t know why people are thinking that this is considered bribery or something that Qatar wants to buy influence within this administration. I don’t see any honestly valid reason for that,” Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the Gulf state’s foreign minister, told the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF) on Tuesday.

Sheikh Mohammed’s remarks came in response to a question asked during his opening panel discussion at the QEF, as American media headlines continued debating Qatar’s jet offer to Trump, who visited the region last week.

The top Qatari official pointed to “ some spoilers who are trying to portray Qatar as a country that tries to buy its way” in its relations, a claim that he dismissed.

“Basically, a lot of nations have gifted the U.S. many things. I’m not comparing that to the Statue of Liberty, but I don’t know if this sounded strange for the U.S. because it’s coming from a small Arab nation,” he said.

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer introduced a bill on Monday that would prevent any foreign-owned aircraft from being used as Air Force One.

“Donald Trump has shown time and again – he will sell out the American people and the Presidency if it means filling his own pockets,” Schumer said in a statement. 

Sheikh Mohammed, during his panel, underlined Qatar’s past support for the U.S. as part of the two countries’ strategic relations for more than five decades.

One such example included Qatar’s pivotal role during the 2021 Taliban takeover of Kabul, when the Gulf state carried out history’s largest airlift of humans.

At the time, Qatar evacuated more than 80,000 Afghans and foreigners in a fast-paced manner. Qatar also facilitated the relocation of several Western embassies from Kabul to Doha, including the U.S. embassy.

Qatar is also currently playing a crucial role alongside Egypt and the U.S. in mediating between Hamas and Israel in an effort to reach a deal that would result in the release of captives from Gaza and a complete ceasefire.

Since assuming its role, Qatar has found itself at the centre of a disinformation campaign led by some U.S. and Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The criticism increased despite Qatar’s efforts in releasing some 138 captives from Hamas, in addition to Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, last week.