The chairwoman of the IG Metall trade union harshly criticizes Audi CEO Gernot Döllner after his appearance at a Donald Trump election rally

Christiane Benner, president of the German IG Metall trade union, strongly criticized Audi CEO Gernot Döllner for attending an election rally alongside Donald Trump, held on Saturday in the state of Georgia. The criticism concerns both the executive’s political involvement and the announcement of a major investment in the United States.

Benner said Döllner’s appearance was “extremely embarrassing and politically unacceptable” and that he may have violated Audi’s internal rules on political neutrality ahead of the elections.

At the rally, Trump announced a $4.2 billion Audi investment to build the company’s first plant in the United States. The project is expected to produce approximately 200,000 vehicles annually and create 4,500 jobs. Audi subsequently confirmed the investment, but it has not yet received final approval from the Volkswagen Group. The decision must be approved by the competent bodies and the company’s supervisory board.

The trade union fears that producing some Audi models in the United States could lead to job losses in Germany, at a time when Volkswagen is implementing a wide-ranging cost-cutting program. The Audi plant in Neckarsulm, with approximately 15,000 employees, is of particular concern. Rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz have already established a foothold in the U.S. market through plants in South Carolina and Alabama.