(Reuters) -Elon Musk-owned social platform X's CEO Linda Yaccarino said on Wednesday she would step down from the role in a surprise move. Her exit comes at a difficult time for Musk, who is dealing with falling sales at his EV maker Tesla and is embroiled in a war of words with U.

Mr. Musk’s involvement in politics and his financial support for the president’s campaign were once seen by investors as a benefit to Tesla, fueling a steep rise in company shares after the election last year. That association has now turned into a liability. Tesla shares are down 40 percent from their peak in December.