WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump awarded Elon Musk the National Medal of Science on Thursday at a White House summit titled “Science: A New Golden Age,” formally ending one of the most closely watched feuds in American public life and confirming the billionaire’s return to the president’s inner circle.
“Elon Musk is our Thomas Edison of modern times,” Trump said during the ceremony, calling the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive a “national treasure.” The president then struck a personal tone: “Elon, I want to congratulate you. You are my friend, and someone truly, truly exceptional.”
A Relationship Marked by Sharp Swings
The warmth on display Thursday stood in stark contrast to the rupture of early summer 2025. After heavily financing Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, Musk joined the administration to oversee federal spending reductions. The partnership collapsed into a public quarrel, driven in part by the billionaire’s criticism of the president’s fiscal policy.
Since then, the SpaceX founder has steadily rebuilt his ties to Washington. The Pentagon recently assigned him a mission to identify the technologies and weapons systems needed for future conflicts involving the United States. Last week, Musk took part in the signing of an artificial intelligence code of conduct at the White House. In September, he was among the guests at a state dinner held in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Tech Leaders Recognized Across the Board
The ceremony also honored several major figures in American technology. Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia; Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google; and Lisa Su, chief executive of AMD, each received the National Medal of Science. Michael Dell, founder of the computer company bearing his name, and Satya Nadella, chief executive of Microsoft, were awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Trump himself received a framed display of the National Medal of Science awarded posthumously in 1983 to his uncle, John Trump. A former physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John Trump occupies a special place in the president’s family narrative. Trump regularly cites that lineage when referring to his own intellectual credentials.
