'Modern-day Thomas Edison': Trump awards Elon Musk top US science medal
President Donald Trump presented the National Medal of Science to SpaceX chief Elon Musk on Thursday at the Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., joining a select group that included Google co‑founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD head Lisa Su. In his opening remarks, Trump lauded the “golden age of America” in science and technology before singling out Musk as a “modern‑day Thomas Edison,” praising his “genius and determination” for turning science‑fiction concepts into reality and emphasizing Musk’s contributions to the nation’s interests across multiple fields.
The award comes after a turbulent partnership between the two men. Musk had supported Trump’s 2024 campaign and later headed the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), driving cost‑cutting reforms after Trump’s return to office in January 2025. Their alliance soured when Musk publicly criticized the administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” spending package, sparking a bitter feud. Despite the discord, Musk re‑entered the Trump orbit recently, being appointed co‑director of the Defense Department’s “Project Meridian,” a study aimed at forecasting future warfare needs and recommending new weapons and technologies for development, testing and deployment.
According to a White House press release, Musk received the medal for “engineering achievements of extraordinary ambition and scale” that have expanded the frontiers of space exploration, intelligent systems, communications and beyond, thereby renewing American technological leadership and ushering in a new era of U.S. manufacturing. The recognition underscores the administration’s focus on high‑profile innovators to bolster national security and economic competitiveness, while also highlighting Musk’s renewed influence within the government despite previous conflicts.
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