Trump to honor Musk and tech leaders at White House on Thursday
. . . marking the first time during either of Trump’s administrations that he will personally present the National Medal of Science
US President Donald Trump is set to honor Elon Musk and several of America’s leading technology figures at the White House on Thursday, marking the first time during either of Trump’s administrations that he will personally present the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, will receive the National Medal of Science alongside Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su. Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
The awards will be presented during the White House’s “Science: A New Golden Age Summit,” which will bring together leading scientists and technology executives to discuss artificial intelligence, “super intelligence,” private-sector investment and ways to strengthen US leadership in science and technology.
For Musk, the ceremony marks another significant return to Trump’s orbit after their highly publicized fallout last year. Musk left the Trump administration after serving with the Department of Government Efficiency and later sharply criticized Trump’s major tax-and-spending legislation, triggering a public dispute between the two men.
Their relationship has since improved. Musk has appeared alongside Trump at a technology leaders’ lunch and was present during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit, according to the report. Musk has also returned to an advisory role in the administration, co-leading the Pentagon’s Project Meridian, which examines the future of warfare and the technologies the US military will need to maintain its technological edge.
The White House said the awards recognize leaders whose contributions to science and technology are helping maintain America’s position at the forefront of innovation.
The ceremony also carries a personal connection for Trump. His uncle, John G. Trump, was posthumously awarded the National Medal of Science by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 for pioneering work involving ionizing radiation and its applications in medicine, industry and atomic physics.
