U.S. President Donald Trump honored Elon Musk and five other technology leaders with the nation's highest science and innovation awards Thursday, highlighting their contributions to American technological leadership even as his administration accused Microsoft, whose CEO was among the recipients, of abusing the immigration system.
President Donald Trump presented Elon Musk and five other technology executives with prestigious national awards at a ceremony in Washington on Thursday, marking a public reconciliation with the SpaceX chief while exposing tensions between the administration's immigration crackdown and its reliance on foreign-born technology leaders.
The ceremony, held at a Washington peace institute recently renamed after Trump, recognized six prominent figures for their contributions to science, technology and American innovation.
Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su received the National Medal of Science. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell were awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Five of the six honorees were born outside the United States, a notable contrast to the administration's increasingly restrictive approach to employment-based immigration.
Hours before the ceremony, Vice President JD Vance announced that Microsoft would be suspended from a program allowing employers to seek permanent residency for skilled foreign workers holding H-1B visas.
Vance accused the company of exploiting the immigration system while laying off American employees, saying Microsoft had dismissed 6,000 U.S. workers last year while obtaining approximately 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.
"Our message to Microsoft is: You're a great American company, but you've got to hire great American workers," Vance said.
Microsoft, which employs approximately 223,000 people worldwide, said most of its H-1B applications during the previous fiscal year involved extending or changing the immigration status of existing employees.
Despite the administration's allegations, Trump praised Nadella during the ceremony, crediting him with helping transform Microsoft into one of the world's leading technology companies.
Vance, asked about the apparent contradiction, said the administration intended to maintain a strong relationship with Microsoft.
The event also underscored Musk's renewed relationship with Trump following their highly publicized dispute last year.
Trump described Musk as a "national treasure" and compared the billionaire entrepreneur to inventor Thomas Edison.
"Elon, I want to congratulate you. You're my friend, and all of that, but you are a very, very special guy," Trump said.
The president presented Musk with his medal in a wooden case and patted him on the back, signaling a significant improvement in relations after months of hostility.
Musk's relationship with Trump deteriorated in May 2025 following his departure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he had overseen efforts to reduce federal spending and government staffing.
The dispute intensified after Musk criticized Trump's tax and spending legislation, prompting the president to threaten consequences for the entrepreneur's businesses and even raise the possibility of deportation.
Musk subsequently made allegations linking Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, further escalating the confrontation.
Relations have improved in recent months, however, with Musk attending a September state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping and participating in White House discussions on artificial intelligence last week.
His SpaceX company remains a major partner in U.S. space exploration and national security programs.
The ceremony highlighted the administration's balancing act between restricting immigration and maintaining American leadership in advanced technology.
Musk was born in South Africa, Brin in Russia, Huang and Su in Taiwan, and Nadella in India. Dell, the only U.S.-born recipient, was born in Texas.
The administration argues that immigration policies should prioritize exceptional foreign talent while preventing companies from using visa programs to replace American workers.
Vance also called for investigations into possible visa fraud at several universities, including Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The awards came as Trump increasingly promotes artificial intelligence as a central pillar of his economic agenda.
The president has urged American technology companies to accelerate AI development while opposing extensive federal regulation, arguing that excessive restrictions could undermine U.S. competitiveness.
He has also encouraged the use of the term "super intelligence" instead of artificial intelligence.
Several honorees, including Musk, Huang and Su, recently participated in White House discussions on AI safety and national security, during which technology executives endorsed voluntary commitments to responsible development.
Trump has emphasized investment in AI infrastructure, data centers and advanced computing as evidence of economic progress ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
However, public concerns about the rapid expansion of AI and persistent household expenses have complicated the administration's efforts to promote technological investment as a broader economic success.
Established in 1959, the National Medal of Science has traditionally recognized researchers and academics for groundbreaking scientific contributions.
Thursday's ceremony placed greater emphasis on corporate executives whose companies have helped shape the development of computing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and commercial spaceflight.
Trump also received a framed tribute commemorating the National Medal of Science awarded posthumously to his uncle, John Trump, a former Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who died in 1983.
The president frequently references his uncle's scientific career when discussing his family's intellectual achievements.
The White House defended its selection of honorees, emphasizing their contributions to American innovation.
"These recipients are helping ensure America keeps leading the world in innovation," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said.
For Musk, the ceremony represented another step toward restoring his relationship with Trump. For the administration, it illustrated the competing priorities of celebrating immigrant-driven technological success while tightening employment-based immigration rules.
