German officials denounce Audi CEO's presence at Trump rally over trade-war concerns
German politicians and union leaders criticized Audi chief Gernot Döllner for appearing with President Donald Trump at a Georgia rally where a $4 billion investment was announced, calling the move politically inappropriate.
German politicians condemned Audi chief Gernot Döllner’s appearance alongside President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Georgia, where Trump announced a $4 billion investment to build a new Audi factory in the state.
"Actively campaigning for an autocrat who is waging a trade war against Germany marks a new low for the VW Group," said SPD lawmaker Isabel Cademartori, the party’s transport policy spokesperson.
"Donald Trump's policies are massively damaging German industry, including the automotive industry," added MEP Dennis Radtke of the Christian Democratic Union, speaking to Handelsblatt.
"The way in which Gernot Döllner presented himself and Audi in the USA is highly embarrassing, politically unacceptable, and unworthy of the company — and, above all, unworthy of the people who work at Audi," said Christiane Benner, chair of IG Metall.
Critics argued that the appearance turned a commercial investment announcement into a political endorsement, violating Audi’s internal rules on political neutrality. The backlash comes as Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, confronts restructuring challenges in Germany, including plant closures and anticipated layoffs.