Elon Musk A ‘National Treasure,’ Says Trump: President Compares Tesla CEO With Edison As He Awards National Medal of Science
Key takeaways
- Trump’s award of the National Medal of Science to Elon Musk and peers signals strong political backing for U.S. tech innovation, likely boosting investor confidence in Tesla and SpaceX.
- Musk received the National Medal of Science
- SpaceX stock closed 4.19% lower at $160.57 on Thursday
- SpaceX stock rose 2.32% to $164.30 in extended trading
What happened
President Donald Trump awarded Elon Musk and five other tech leaders the National Medal of Science at the White House on October 8, 2026. Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: SPCX), received the medal alongside Alphabet Inc. co‑founder Sergey Brin (NASDAQ: GOOG/GOOGL), Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (NASDAQ: NVDA), and AMD CEO Lisa Su (NASDAQ: AMD). Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell (NYSE: DELL) and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (NASDAQ: MSFT) were…
Why it matters
The ceremony highlighted the U.S. government’s recognition of private sector leaders driving technological progress. Trump’s comparison of Musk to Thomas Edison and calling him a "national treasure" signals strong political support for Musk’s ventures, potentially boosting investor confidence in Tesla and SpaceX. The…
Short-term and longer-term
Short-term. In the next few days, Tesla shares could react to the heightened visibility and political endorsement, potentially seeing a short‑term rally.
Longer-term. Over the coming months, the awards reinforce Tesla’s and SpaceX’s positioning as leaders in their respective fields, potentially supporting long‑term valuation multiples.