US President Donald Trump has publicly embraced Elon Musk once again, describing the Tesla and SpaceX chief as a “national treasure” as he presented him with one of America’s highest scientific honours.
Musk was among six prominent technology leaders recognised with the National Medal of Science during a ceremony at the Institute for Peace in Washington on Thursday.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, AMD CEO Lisa Su and Dell CEO Michael Dell were also honoured, while Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Trump used the ceremony to praise the technology sector and promote what he described as a new “golden age” of American science and innovation.
But Musk’s appearance alongside Trump carried additional significance given their public falling-out last year.
The two men engaged in a highly publicised dispute after Musk’s departure from the Department of Government Efficiency, with their disagreements playing out publicly on social media.
Their relationship has since thawed, with Musk returning to Trump’s circle of technology executives and attending high-profile events at the White House.
During Thursday’s ceremony, Trump offered particularly warm praise for Musk.
“Elon is our modern-day Thomas Edison,” Trump said, before congratulating Musk and calling him a “very special guy”.
“Quite honestly, there is nobody like him,” Trump added.
Musk, who was a major financial backer of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, has remained an influential figure in the technology sector as the administration focuses increasingly on artificial intelligence, innovation and emerging technologies.
The ceremony also had a personal significance for Trump. He displayed the National Medal of Science awarded to his uncle, Dr John G. Trump, by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
Dr Trump was a physicist and electrical engineer who worked on radar technology during World War II and later contributed to research into cancer treatment.
Thursday’s ceremony brought together some of the world’s most prominent technology leaders as the Trump administration seeks closer engagement with the sector on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.