The German federal government has declined to make a public assessment of Audi CEO Gernot Döllner’s appearance at a U.S. presidential campaign event. Deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille stated to the dts news agency on Monday, “We fundamentally do not comment on such corporate decisions.” Döllner appeared alongside Donald Trump at a campaign event in the U.S. state of Georgia. During the event, while Trump delivered his standard campaign address, Döllner expressed gratitude for his support and affirmed a billion-dollar investment in the United States. This move is alleged to violate Audi’s neutrality guidelines, which state that the company should refrain from high-profile public appearances with political candidates in the three months leading up to an election.
The response from labor representatives was particularly strong. Daniela Cavallo, the chairperson of the VW corporate works council, accused Döllner of supporting the U.S. president during his campaign. Christiane Benner, the leader of IG Metall, also sharply criticized the CEO’s appearance. The background dynamics for this issue include Trump’s controversial policies toward minorities and his tariff policies, which are designed to push companies to increase their production within the United States.
