Audi chief faces criticism over appearance at Trump campaign rally

German carmaker Audi's chief executive has come under fire for appearing alongside President Donald Trump at a campaign rally to announce plans for a new $4-billion factory in the United States. Isabel Cademartori, a transport policy expert for Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), condemned Gernot Döllner's appearance at the rally on Saturday in Perry, Georgia, where he joined Trump on stage and thanked him for his support.

Cademartori accused Döllner of lending campaign support to an "autocrat" who is waging a trade war against Germany, calling his appearance shameful given the Nazi-era origins of Audi's parent company, Volkswagen. "This is a disgrace, particularly in view of the history of the VW Group," she said in Berlin.

Volkswagen was founded during the Nazi era and served as a flagship company for Adolf Hitler's regime. The appearance also raised questions about Audi's own political neutrality guidelines, which state that employees should avoid public appearances with political parties or candidates in the three months before elections.

Trump's Republican Party faces crucial congressional midterm elections on November 3, with its narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress at stake. Audi's first US factory Trump announced Audi's plans to build its first US production facility during the campaign rally in Georgia.

The German carmaker intends to invest $4 billion in the plant, which is expected to produce around 200,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) annually and create some 4,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with production of premium SUVs tailored to North American customers expected to start in the early 2030s.

The project still requires approval from Volkswagen's supervisory board, although Audi supervisory board chairman Manfred Döss has already backed the management's strategy. Audi's future cannot be secured through cost-cutting and efficiency improvements alone, Döss said. "We need the courage to invest, seize new opportunities and make decisions that will shape our company for decades to come," Döss added.