Shares in Tesla tanked by as much as 7.6% in premarket trading Monday after its CEO Elon Musk said he is forming a new American political party, provoking an irate response from US President Donald Trump.

Mr. Musk’s involvement in politics and his financial support for the president’s campaign was 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.

Tesla shares fell on Monday after the electric-car maker’s chief executive Elon Musk said he would form a new political party, escalating a feud with US President Donald Trump.