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Right of Reply! This is How Audi CEO Döllner Justifies the Whole Donald Trump Situation

Source: dpa | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner stands by his appearance with U.S. President Donald Trump, which has drawn heavy criticism from some quarters and even calls for his resignation ...

Scenes like these are fueling outrage among leftists, the Greens, and within the Volkswagen Group. That’s because Audi CEO Gernot Döllner (left) spoke publicly alongside U.S. President Donald Trump. The issue concerns a planned Audi plant in the U.S. Döllner is said to have allowed himself to be used for campaign purposes...(Image: Reuters / E. Su)
Scenes like these are fueling outrage among leftists, the Greens, and within the Volkswagen Group. That’s because Audi CEO Gernot Döllner (left) spoke publicly alongside U.S. President Donald Trump. The issue concerns a planned Audi plant in the U.S. Döllner is said to have allowed himself to be used for campaign purposes...
(Image: Reuters / E. Su)

According to his own statements, Gernot Döllner acted strictly in the best interests of Audi, the automaker struggling with the economic downturn. He emphasized this in an internal letter to employees, a copy of which is in the possession of dpa. A statement on the Audi website takes a similar line. In both accounts, however, Döllner also acknowledges that the appearance was bound to raise questions and even cause some confusion. He and Audi’s Chief Production Officer, Gerd Walker, were in Georgia, he explained, to advance discussions and negotiations regarding the planned plant. “As part of our discussions, we were asked to publicly present our plans together with the President of the United States of America,” explains Döllner. The decision to accept this invitation was made solely in the company’s best interest. And because the discussions were confidential, they were also unable to provide advance notice. However, they take the reaction that followed seriously. They stand by the company’s values but also bear responsibility for the economic future of Audi as a whole. Especially since the era of Trump’s policies will eventually give way to another.

There Are Many Reasons to Build an Audi Plant in the U.S.

Döllner also defended the decision to build a plant: “Local production in the U.S. is of great strategic and economic importance to Audi!” He added that the U.S. is also the world’s second-largest premium market. And Audi’s business there is currently not profitable. Many competitors have had local production for years (as evidenced not least by BMW, which uses this approach to circumvent tariffs). Having its own manufacturing facilities would therefore enable Audi to become more competitive in the U.S., reduce trade and currency risks, and better leverage growth potential. “For these reasons, strengthening our U.S. business is not a decision against Germany, but rather an important contribution to Audi’s global competitiveness and to securing the company’s long-term success,” clarifies the head of the Ingolstadt-based automaker.

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