President Donald Trump will honour leading technology executives with the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation at the White House’s “Science: A New Golden Age” summit on Thursday.
Tech Leaders To Receive Top US Honours
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su will receive the National Medal of Science.
Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. White House spokesperson Liz Huston said the recipients are helping America maintain its global leadership in innovation.
The awards mark Trump’s first presentation of either medal during his two administrations.
Musk, Trump Relationship Rebounds
Musk, a major donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign, had a public fallout with the president last year but has since rebuilt ties.
He now co-leads Pentagon’s Project Meridian, while reports say he plans to spend $100–120 million supporting Republican candidates in the midterms.
Huang attended Trump’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, while Dell has pledged $6.25 billion for accounts benefiting 25 million children under Trump’s programme.
AI Safety And Political Backdrop
The technology leaders also recently joined Trump at the White House for discussions on AI safety and a voluntary pact covering independent audits, internal controls and board oversight.
Trump has promoted AI as central to his “Golden Age” of the US economy, despite warnings about its risks. His Republican Party faces a difficult midterm contest amid concerns over the Iran war and living costs.
