Audi CEO Faces Backlash After Appearing Alongside Trump at Georgia Rally

On Saturday, Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner stood onstage in Georgia next to Donald Trump at a Republican campaign rally, while the US president announced that the German carmaker would build a factory in the state. By Monday, the appearance had turned into a political problem for Döllner at home, drawing public rebukes from the head of Germany's largest industrial union and from a state premier whose government is a major shareholder in Volkswagen, Audi's parent.

The plant Trump described would produce around 200,000 vehicles a year, mainly large SUVs. Trump credits his tariffs for the move, and the project has been put at roughly $4 billion. It would be Audi's first factory in the United States.

Christiane Benner, who leads the IG Metall union, called the appearance "deeply embarrassing, politically unacceptable" and unworthy of Audi and its workforce. She also accused Döllner of breaking the company's own political neutrality rules. Audi's code of conduct, published in April and signed by Döllner, bars public appearances with parties or politicians standing for election, and sponsorship of their events, during the three months before a vote. The US midterm elections are weeks away.

Benner stressed that the project is not settled. The final decision, she said, rests "rightly and importantly" with Volkswagen's supervisory board, to be taken with the full picture in mind. Employee representatives, she said, want safeguards for German sites and a clear North American strategy for both Volkswagen and Audi. She acknowledged the importance of the US market but said the union's priority is employment prospects in Germany.

Olaf Lies, premier of Lower Saxony, whose state is Volkswagen's second-largest shareholder, added his own criticism. He said Döllner had become part of a political spectacle and that a campaign rally cannot be the right place to announce an investment of this size. The appearance, he said, has caused consternation among employees worried about their jobs, in Germany and beyond, and he said he felt the same way.

Audi answered on Monday with a statement addressing what it called "the current situation." It said a delegation was in Georgia for talks on a US production site when the company was asked to present its plans publicly alongside the US president. Audi said it accepted solely with its own best interests in mind, while acknowledging that the circumstances may have been perceived as a political signal, which it said it takes very seriously.

The company said it remains firmly committed to its values and principles, but also has a responsibility to safeguard its economic future, and that the two go hand in hand. It noted that it is currently not profitable in the US, the world's second-largest premium car market, and said producing there could help change that and secure its long-term success.

The statement was notable for what it left out. It named neither Döllner nor Trump, did not mention the midterms, and did not address the question of judgment in appearing at a Republican rally weeks before the vote, even though it said it intended to provide context.

The backlash comes as Germany's auto industry is cutting jobs on a large scale at home. The next step is the Volkswagen supervisory board, where employee representatives will press for guarantees on German plants before the Georgia factory can proceed.