Dopfner, a billionaire businessman from Germany and CEO/part-owner of Axel Springer, acquired Politico in October of 2021 and has doubled down on calls for his reporters to remain politically neutral in their own reporting. Meanwhile, his own political views have been subject to speculation.

In an email reported by The Washington Post, Dopfner said that “no American administration in the last 50 years has done more” than Trump’s, prompting some in the media to raise concerns about how he might influence Politico’s coverage.

“Do we all want to get together for an hour in the morning on November 3 and pray that Donald Trump will again become President of the United States of America?” he wrote. according to the Post.

He initially responded by calling the email “intrinsically false.” But when shown a copy of the email, he said he could have sent it as a “as an ironic, provocative statement in the circle of people that hate Donald Trump.”

Some journalists have raised concerns about what his perspective might have on Politico, which faced criticism from conservatives this year after it published a leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“So Politico is owned by a lying Trump supporter in Germany? How should/can readers factor that in to what they read in Politico?” tweeted MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell.

Press Watch Editor Dan Froomkin tweeted: “When the media spectrum spans from truth-denying to truth-embracing, what the heck does “contrarian” even mean? Truth-ignoring?”

Axel Springer, the company led by Dopfner, publishes several newspapers and magazines throughout Germany and Europe. The largest is Bild, a tabloid that is not only the most circulated newspaper in Germany but the most-read tabloid in Europe.

Other publications include the center-right newspaper Die Welt and Fakt, Poland’s largest daily tabloid. Axel Springer’s popularity across Europe has allowed Dopfner to build not only wealth but also political influence.

Many have speculated that Dopfner has conservative views—backed up by his praise for Trump. Axel Springer’s publications have also been viewed as having a conservative tilt, as Axel Springer, the company’s namesake, espoused anti-communist views.

Dopfner offered some criticism of Trump in the email reported by the Post, saying the former president fell “short” of tackling climate change. He also told the Post he has never considered himself to be a Trump supporter. In an opinion piece for Business Insider, he condemned January 6, 2021, Capitol rioters who were motivated by Trump’s unfounded voter fraud claims.

“By refusing to accept the election results, by speaking of fraud and by dangerously inciting his followers to violence, Trump is merely confirming what his sharpest and most fundamental critics have said about him all along,” he wrote. “Removed from reality by his narcissism, he is unable to come to terms with his defeat, and thus also unable to cope with his democratic rivals.”

However, Axel Springer employees are expected to uphold certain political values. Dopfner told The Wall Street Journal in October of 2021 that Politico staffers are expected to follow the principles, which include support for a united Europe, “the right of existence of the State of Israel” and “the principles of a free market economy and its social responsibility,” according to the company’s website.

“These values are like a constitution, they apply to every employee of our company,” he said.

Newsweek reached out to Politico for comment.