Trump to honour Elon Musk with US national medal of science

(FILES) US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk (R) speak in the Oval Office before departing the White House in Washington, DC, on the way to Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on March 14, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)

US President Donald Trump will on Thursday present billionaire Elon Musk with the National Medal of Science, the highest honour the United States gives to scientists and engineers, The Hill reports.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia Chief Executive Officer, Jensen Huang, and Advanced Micro Devices CEO, Lisa Su, will receive the same medal at the White House’s “Science: A New Golden Age” summit.

Dell Technologies chief Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will get the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Fox News Digital reported that it will be the first time Trump has presented either medal in either of his terms.

The honour comes after a public falling-out between Trump and Musk, who briefly led the administration’s drive to cut the federal workforce.

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CNBC reported that Musk contributed more than $290m to Trump’s 2024 campaign, and that each of the honourees had backed Trump or Republican causes in some form.

“These recipients are helping ensure America keeps leading the world in innovation,” White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said in a statement.

The Hill reported that Brin donated to the Republican National Committee in 2025 and attended Trump’s second inauguration.

Dell and his wife, Susan, pledged $6.25bn to the “Trump Accounts” programme, while Nvidia said it would match the US Treasury’s $1,000 contributions for its employees.

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