Tesla sales are in an unprecedented slide. Competitors are rapidly gaining ground. There’s a lot of bad news for Tesla lately – but it’s unclear if the politics of its polarizing CEO, Elon Musk, are to blame.

During Tesla 's ( TSLA -0.03%) fourth-quarter earnings call last week, Elon Musk got investors amped after the entrepreneur spoke at length about the company's AI roadmap and how it's betting big on humanoid robotics.

Tesla’s financial tale, however, has taken a turn since Trump took the oath of office with Tesla stock down over 17% since Jan. 21, as of midday Friday. Just weeks before the inauguration, Tesla reported the first full-year drop in global sales in its history as a public company, according to a report from CNN.