New Delhi, May 15 -- Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has dismissed growing criticism over a proposed plan for Qatar to provide a Boeing 747-8 aircraft to the US government-an aircraft that US President Donald Trump has said will serve as a temporary Air Force One and eventually be donated to his presidential library.

Sheikh Al-Thani, speaking to CNN on Wednesday (May 14), firmly rejected allegations of influence-peddling, saying,

"This is a very simple government-to-government dealing. It has nothing to do with personnel, whether it's on the US side or the Qatari side. It's Ministry of Defense and Department of Defense."

The deal has drawn scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans. Al-Thani ...