Audi's Georgia factory plan draws growing backlash over Trump rally appearance

Audi's first US factory was announced on a campaign stage. At an October 24 rally in Perry, Georgia, President Donald Trump said the company planned an assembly plant capable of producing 200,000 SUVs annually, according to Reuters.

The investment comes as tariffs put pressure on Audi's existing business. The Volkswagen division imports all its cars into the US from Europe or Mexico and has been hit hard by US tariffs, NYT Politics reported.

Reports differ on the investment figure. Reuters put it at $4 billion, while The Hindu reported $4.2 billion and said Audi had confirmed the investment in a release. The company expects the plant to create about 4,500 jobs.

At the October 24 rally, Trump presented the factory as evidence that his tariffs were working. The announcement gave him a political win while he was facing criticism over the tariffs' domestic effects, according to Japan Times. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner appeared at the event, n-tv.de reported.

By October 26, that appearance had become a dispute within Germany. The chair of Volkswagen Group's works council sharply criticized Döllner's participation in the rally, according to nu.nl. ABC reported that the appearance had triggered political and union criticism.

Döllner defended himself on October 26, saying he had acted in the company's interests, according to DIE ZEIT. DIE WELT reported that he addressed employees in writing as he responded to the backlash.

On October 27, the dispute spread through Volkswagen's internal communications. DER SPIEGEL reported that debate on the group's intranet had escalated enough for Volkswagen to intervene. n-tv.de reported that comments were switched off.

On October 28, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider criticized both the planned SUV factory and Döllner's appearance with Trump. DIE ZEIT reported that Schneider described the factory plan as a bet on a "dead horse."

Audi has confirmed the investment, but the factory remains a future project. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, according to Mint, and production is planned for the early 2030s, NDTV reported, citing Audi's release.

The criticism now covers both the political setting of the announcement and the investment itself. It also comes amid severe pressure on employment in Germany's automotive industry, a context highlighted by Deutsche Welle. Döllner has defended his participation, but that has not ended the dispute.

The next concrete milestone is the planned start of construction in 2027. The production timetable extends into the early 2030s, according to NDTV, leaving several years between the campaign announcement and the first vehicles.

A separate question is whether Volkswagen takes further action over Döllner's appearance. ARD Tagesschau reported that SPD General Secretary Klüssendorf had called for consequences from the parent company, while Audi continued to defend the appearance.