President Donald Trump awarded the National Medal of Science to four major technology leaders and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to two others at a White House summit on Thursday, October 8, at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington.
Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX; Sergey Brin, Google co-founder; Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO; and Lisa Su, AMD CEO, received the National Medal of Science. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Trump presented each recipient with a medal and certificate of honor, later inviting some family members to join him onstage for photographs. "You're going to go down in the annals of history as being great," Trump told the recipients.
The summit, billed as the start of a "golden age" of American science, convened senior technology executives alongside administration officials and scientific leaders. "We live in an age of American wonders and technological marvels, and with the help of the brilliant men and women here today, we will always be on top," Trump said. White House spokesperson Liz Huston stated: "The Trump Administration is grateful for the contributions of these incredible leaders in science and technology. These recipients are helping ensure America keeps leading the world in innovation."
The event built on a July report from Michael Kratsios, head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, outlining the administration's plan to reinvigorate scientific discovery and innovation. According to the White House, the summit aimed to tackle what it described as growing scientific bureaucracy and stagnating innovation. Kratsios highlighted ballooning costs of clinical trials and falling rates of novel drug approvals as examples of scientific sluggishness. The administration plans to streamline funding to promising scientists rather than routing money through established institutions.
During the summit, America's leading AI companies pledged approximately $2.4 billion in AI computing credits and scientific tools to federal agencies working on White House-prioritized research areas, including quantum algorithms, AI-driven physical laboratories, and nuclear engineering efficiency. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Energy Secretary announcements were also made regarding scientific initiatives, though details of those announcements were not fully captured in the available sources.
The timing of the ceremony drew attention to a policy tension. Hours before the summit began, Vice President JD Vance announced that the Trump administration would suspend Microsoft—whose CEO was a guest of honor at the event—and several other companies from programs allowing foreign workers to apply for green cards. Several summit speakers emphasized the importance of immigrants to American scientific competence. Nvidia CEO Huang told NBC News: "I was an immigrant, and my parents brought us here to pursue the American dream. It's an incredible honor and something that could only happen here in America." Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian highlighted that China produces more engineers and scientists than the U.S., Europe, and Japan combined, underscoring the need for welcoming immigration policies to recruit top talent.
According to reporting by CNBC and other outlets, each of the award recipients has financially contributed to President Trump or Republican campaigns and causes. Musk was Trump's largest financial backer in the 2024 election cycle, contributing more than $290 million. Brin attended Trump's inauguration and contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Republican National Committee in 2025. Huang donated to a fund for Trump's White House ballroom, and Nvidia contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration. Dell and his wife Susan committed $6.25 billion to Trump Accounts, a savings initiative for children. AMD also contributed to pro-Trump funds. Trump has held or traded shares in companies led by several of these executives as recently as July 2026, according to financial disclosures.
