‘Modern-Day Thomas Edison’: Trump Gives Musk With Top US Science Medal After Bitter Fallout

Last Updated:October 09, 2026, 01:30 IST

Trump praised the SpaceX and Tesla chief as a “national treasure” and called him a “modern-day Thomas Edison” during a ceremony in Washington.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk receives the National Medal of Science from US President Donald Trump during the Golden Age of American Innovation Summit at the Institute of Peace. (Getty Images via AFP)

US President Donald Trump presented Elon Musk with the country’s top science honour on Thursday, marking a public reunion between the two after their bitter falling-out last year.

Trump praised the SpaceX and Tesla chief as a “national treasure” and called him a “modern-day Thomas Edison” during a ceremony in Washington.

Six leading figures from the US technology sector received prestigious awards at the event, which was titled “Science: A New Golden Age”.

Trump praises Musk

Musk received the National Medal of Science alongside Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su.

Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the country’s top award for technological achievement.

Trump warmly congratulated Musk, calling him a friend and saying he was a “very, very special guy”. The president also patted Musk on the back as he presented him with the medal in a wooden case.

The ceremony offered a sharp contrast to the pair’s public clash in 2025.

From White House ally to bitter rival

Musk had been one of Trump’s closest allies after the 2024 election and became the public face of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which pushed for sweeping cuts to federal spending and the government workforce.

Their relationship deteriorated after Musk left the administration and criticised Trump’s spending plans. Trump later threatened Musk with deportation, while Musk made allegations linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.

The dispute quickly became a highly public clash between two of the world’s most prominent figures.

Relations have since improved. Musk attended Trump’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping in September and joined a White House meeting on artificial intelligence last week.

(With inputs from agencies)

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What award did Donald Trump present to Elon Musk at the Washington ceremony?

President Donald Trump presented Elon Musk with the National Medal of Science, which is the country’s top science honor, during a ceremony titled “Science: A New Golden Age” in Washington.

Why did Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s relationship previously deteriorate?

Their relationship soured after Musk left the administration and criticized Trump’s spending plans, leading to a public feud that included Trump threatening Musk with deportation and Musk making allegations linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein.

Who else received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation alongside Elon Musk?

While Elon Musk received the National Medal of Science, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Dell CEO Michael Dell received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation at the same event.

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