Musk Re-enters Trump's Orbit for National Medal of Science Award
The tech billionaire will receive a prestigious honor from President Donald Trump, marking a reconciliation after a public rift over government spending.
Elon Musk is set to receive the National Medal of Science from President Donald Trump, signifying a return to the administration's good graces following a public dispute in 2025. Sources close to the relationship describe the past conflict as "water under the bridge."
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), had joined the Trump administration in 2024 to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aimed at cutting federal spending. During this period, he maintained a close relationship with Trump, even receiving a ceremonial golden key to the White House.
However, in May 2025, Musk departed the administration. Disagreements reportedly arose over the scale of government spending associated with the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which Musk viewed as contrary to DOGE's mission of reducing waste. On June 3, 2025, Musk publicly denounced the bill on X as a "disgusting abomination."
Trump responded via social media, stating Musk had "been wearing thin" and had gone "CRAZY" after the administration rolled back a "backdoor electric vehicle mandate." Musk countered by claiming Trump would not have won the 2024 election without his financial contributions and accused the president of ingratitude. Musk's America PAC had contributed nearly $300 million to Trump and other Republican campaigns. Musk also made an unsubstantiated claim about Trump's connection to the Epstein files.
Following these exchanges, a former administration official told Fox News Digital that Musk was effectively removed from the White House, losing his office space within the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
Despite the fallout, sources indicate Musk has been seen at the White House in recent months, including at the America.gov launch in late September and at President Trump's state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, where he was seated at the presidential table. An administration official also disputed the notion that Musk was entirely out of the White House fold, noting his continued engagement, partly due to financial support for Republican candidates in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
President Trump is scheduled to present Musk with the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest award for scientific and technological achievement, on Thursday afternoon. "The Trump administration is grateful for the contributions of these incredible leaders in science and technology," White House spokesperson Liz Huston stated. "These recipients are helping ensure America keeps leading the world in innovation."