Audi CEO who joined Trump’s election rally faces ongoing criticism in Germany as a “shameful act”

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Gernot Döllner, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Audi, took to the campaign stage in Georgia, United States, standing side by side with U.S. President Donald Trump to support his election campaign. This move even violated Audi’s internal policy mandating political neutrality. Furthermore, it has come to light that CEO Döllner has long portrayed himself as the sole and authentic savior of Audi, raising doubts about whether the company’s recent unprecedented decision to invest in the U.S. was justified.

In response to such extraordinary conduct by the Audi CEO, immediate statements of condemnation emerged in Germany. Above all, suspicions have arisen that this impulsive action served as a backdrop for Audi’s recent decision to make a large-scale investment in Georgia, intensifying the level of criticism directed at the company.

Recently, the Trump administration has faced significant pressure in terms of public approval ratings due to high oil prices resulting from the conflict with Iran and trade disputes with foreign countries. In particular, as the U.S. midterm elections, where the Republican Party must defend its leading position, approach, there was an urgent need for a major positive development to prevent a shift in public sentiment in Georgia—a key battleground state and political turning point—and to prominently showcase achievements in creating manufacturing jobs. The fact that Audi’s large-scale investment, closely intertwined with Trump’s efforts to reverse his approval ratings and his election strategy, has been abruptly leveraged is causing significant repercussions.

The Audi CEO’s such impulsive action immediately triggered an unprecedented fierce backlash from political circles and labor groups in Germany. Daniela Cavallo, Chairwoman of the Works Council at Volkswagen (VW) Group, strongly criticized management, describing the move as “a level of disgrace so severe that all employees cannot lift their heads out of shame.” Cavallo pointed out that this meeting seriously undermined democratic values and was a fatal blunder in which the Audi brand voluntarily subordinated itself to a controversial political propaganda show in the United States. Criticism poured in across German political circles, noting that the company had been mobilized for a foreign leader’s election campaign while directly violating strict internal compliance and political neutrality regulations. Additionally, satirical sticker ideas mocking the incident spread rapidly online and offline, leaving an indelible stain on the brand’s global credibility.

Political criticism continued. The main thrust of the fierce criticism was that it constituted support for a dictator’s election campaign. Isabel Cademartori (38), a transportation expert from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), mentioned the widespread erosion of democracy, violence against minorities, and corruption under President Trump’s administration, stating definitively, “Especially considering the history of the Volkswagen Group, this is a shameful act.” She added that the company had been “fooled by President Trump’s lies about bringing European jobs to the United States.”

Meanwhile, opinions have emerged suggesting that behind CEO Döllner’s decision to directly join Trump’s propaganda stage despite such fierce criticism and controversy over internal rule violations lay an urgent problem-solving awareness of the need to overcome serious sales sluggishness in the U.S. market and massive financial damage caused by high tariff policies.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original