A sharp scandal has erupted in Germany following the appearance of Audi CEO Gernot Döllner at a pre-election rally for US President Donald Trump. On October 24, 2026, in Perry (Georgia), the head of the German automaker stood alongside Trump and announced plans to invest around $4 billion in building Audi’s first own plant in the United States.
Trump, speaking at a Republican event ahead of the midterm congressional elections on November 3, announced Audi’s plans to build a plant in central Georgia. According to the company and sources, the investment will amount to about $4 billion. The plant is expected to produce up to 200,000 large premium SUVs per year (Q7, Q8 and Q9 models) and create roughly 4,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with series production starting in the early 2030s.
Döllner took the stage, thanked Trump for his support and called the project a long-term investment based on confidence in the American market. This was a highly unusual step for a European top executive in the midst of a heated election campaign. Audi has never had its own plant in the US (unlike BMW and Mercedes) and has been heavily affected by Trump’s 15% import tariffs: according to estimates, they cost the company around €1.2 billion last year.
The final decision on the project must be taken by the supervisory board of Volkswagen (Audi’s parent company), which includes labor representatives. There were also reports of possible support from the state of Georgia amounting to about $1.4 billion.
Union representatives and politicians sharply condemned Döllner’s appearance. IG Metall head Christiane Benner (who is also deputy chair of the VW supervisory board) called it “highly embarrassing, politically unacceptable and unworthy of the company,” especially of Audi’s employees. She accused him of a flagrant violation of Audi’s internal rules, which require political neutrality in the final three months before elections (the relevant code of conduct was signed by Döllner himself).
VW works council chair Daniela Cavallo also harshly criticized the appearance, noting that Trump’s speech contained elements of racism, sexism and contempt for democracy, and that the Audi chief had effectively become part of the election campaign. Politicians from the SPD, the Left Party and other factions called the episode a “disgrace” and “campaign assistance for an autocrat.” Some demanded Döllner’s resignation. The criticism intensified against the backdrop of Volkswagen’s massive restructuring: the group plans to cut up to 100,000 jobs (including those already agreed and additional ones), is reviewing the future of several German plants and is engaged in tough negotiations with unions over collective agreements.
The company and Döllner himself stated that the decision to accept the invitation was made solely in the interests of the business after many months of negotiations. In interviews and an internal letter to employees he emphasized: “If the American president invites you, you accept the invitation. That is what respect for the office and for the country in which we invest demands.” Local production in the US is necessary to improve profitability, reduce tariff risks and secure long-term growth in the world’s second-largest car market. Audi reaffirmed its commitment to the principle of political neutrality and noted that the framing of the announcement had been perceived as a political signal, which raised questions.
The scandal continues to develop: unions are demanding employment guarantees at German Audi and VW sites, while Volkswagen’s supervisory board has yet to give final approval to the American project.
