Trump to award Elon Musk the National Medal of Science

President Donald Trump will present Elon Musk with the National Medal of Science, the top US scientific award, at a ceremony on Thursday, the White House said.

Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang and Lisa Su will also be honored at the "Science: A New Golden Age" summit for their contributions to science and technology.

Who will receive the National Medal of Science?

The National Medal of Science will go to Elon Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su. Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the top award in its field.

"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," White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday.

What is Elon Musk's relationship with Trump now?

SpaceX and Tesla tycoon Musk has returned to Trump's good graces after the two fell out last year over his role heading the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. He was also the biggest donor to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

Musk and Huang were both at Trump's state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping last month.

What have tech leaders discussed with Trump recently?

They were also at the White House last week, along with other tech bosses, for talks in which tech chiefs promised to self-regulate against possible threats from artificial intelligence. Trump has dismissed warnings that AI could wipe out humanity, insisting it is crucial for what he calls the "Golden Age" of the US economy in his second term.

However, Trump's Republican Party could lose control of Congress in midterm elections next month amid voter concerns over the Iran war and the cost of living.