Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner is facing criticism in Germany after appearing alongside US President Donald Trump at a Republican campaign rally in Georgia, where plans for a $4 billion (£3 billion approximately) American car factory were announced.
Döllner joined Trump on stage in Perry on Saturday, 24 October 2026, less than two weeks before the US midterm elections. The appearance has raised questions about Audi’s political neutrality, while German workers seek assurances over jobs and factory capacity at home.
Why has Audi’s chief executive been criticised?
Christiane Benner, president of Germany’s IG Metall union and deputy chair of Volkswagen’s supervisory board, condemned Döllner’s appearance in a statement published on Monday. She described the way he had represented Audi in the United States as politically unacceptable and accused him of breaching the company’s rules on electoral neutrality.
The criticism has a documented basis. In its published Booklet of Policies, Audi says it does not hold public engagements with parties or politicians standing for election during the final three months before an election. The rule appears in the company’s guidelines on political lobbying.
That does not, however, settle whether the appearance constituted an unauthorised breach. Reuters reported, citing a person familiar with the matter, that Audi’s management board had approved an exception to its rules before the rally. Reuters also reported that Audi said its delegation attended at Trump’s invitation for business reasons. The union’s allegation and the reported exemption are therefore both relevant to assessing the dispute.
In a statement issued on 26 October, Döllner addressed the criticism directly. He said he and Audi production chief Gerd Walker had travelled to Georgia to advance negotiations over the proposed factory, and accepted an invitation to present the plans alongside Trump solely in the company’s interests. Döllner acknowledged that the setting of the announcement had been perceived as a political signal and said Audi took that perception seriously. He maintained that the company remained committed to its values while also having to safeguard its economic future, according to German public broadcaster ARD.
What is Audi proposing in the United States?
Audi intends to invest about $4 billion in its first dedicated US production plant, near Macon in Georgia. The company says the proposed factory would employ approximately 4,500 people and have the capacity to build up to 200,000 vehicles a year, mainly premium SUVs for the American market.
According to Audi’s announcement published by Volkswagen Group, construction is planned to begin in 2027, with production expected in the early 2030s. These are plans, not completed investments or guaranteed jobs.
Trump used the announcement at the campaign rally to promote his tariff policy, arguing that pressure on imported vehicles was encouraging manufacturers to build in the United States. For Audi, which currently imports vehicles into the US, a local plant could also reduce exposure to tariffs and currency risks. Reuters reported that import tariffs had cost Audi around €1.2 billion in the previous year.
Why are German workers concerned?
The proposed American investment comes as Volkswagen undertakes a major restructuring and German automotive workers face pressure over jobs, production costs and plant capacity.
IG Metall says it recognises the importance of the American market, but wants firm commitments to protect employment at Audi’s existing German facilities. Its objection is not simply to manufacturing in the US. It is also to the decision to make a prominent appearance at an election rally while difficult employment questions remain unresolved at home.
The commercial argument for US production and the union’s concerns about German jobs are not mutually exclusive. A factory may make strategic sense for Audi while still requiring scrutiny of its implications for existing workers.
Has the $4 billion factory been approved?
No. The project still requires approval by the relevant Volkswagen governing bodies.
In a statement dated 25 October, Volkswagen Group welcomed the prospect of local Audi production but expressly said that a decision to build the new plant remained subject to committee approval. That process includes Volkswagen’s supervisory board, on which employee representatives have a significant role.
The distinction matters. Trump and Döllner appeared together for a high-profile factory announcement, but the final investment decision had not yet been taken.
What happens next?
The immediate questions are whether Audi can reassure its workers over the company’s neutrality rules, what the supervisory board will decide about the Georgia investment, and how the group intends to protect jobs at its German factories.
The confirmed facts are that Döllner attended the rally, Audi has outlined a substantial US factory plan, and Germany’s largest industrial union has publicly criticised his appearance. Whether the event breached Audi’s rules despite the reported management exemption remains disputed, while approval of the plant remains outstanding.
