President Donald Trump honored some of the biggest names in technology on Thursday, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, just hours after Vice President JD Vance defended new administration restrictions targeting companies that rely on the H-1B visa program. The honors came amid a long-running debate within the Republican coalition: whether high-skilled immigration is an essential driver of American innovation or a system that allows employers to undercut U.S. workers. Trump awarded the National Medal of Science to Musk, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su at a White House ceremony.
He also awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Nadella and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell. During the ceremony, Trump called Musk "our modern-day Thomas Edison" and praised Nadella's role in making Microsoft "an early leader in super intelligence." He also cast the recipients as examples of American technological leadership. Trump said the United States had "pioneered super intelligence" and would continue to lead the world in innovation.
The event came the same day Vance announced measures targeting companies' use of pathways from H-1B visas to permanent residency, including action against Microsoft. "Microsoft is a great American company, and we have a great relationship with them," Vance said Thursday. "Our message to Microsoft is not that we want to harm your company, it's that we want your company to thrive, but we want it to thrive by employing and empowering your fellow Americans." Earlier in the day, Vance accused Microsoft of laying off American workers while continuing to use immigration programs, arguing that companies should prioritize hiring U.S. workers.
Newsweek reached out to Vance, the Labor Department and the Office of Science and Technology Policy on Thursday for comment. One of Thursday's honorees, Musk, has become one of the most prominent defenders of the H-1B program. He drew national attention during an H-1B debate in late 2024 when he wrote on X: "The reason I'm in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.
"I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend." At the same time, Musk argued that the H-1B system should be overhauled and reformed rather than eliminated, saying employers should pay higher salaries and incur additional costs when hiring through the program. Vance previously acknowledged benefits from the visa system, citing Musk as an example of a high-skilled immigrant who contributed significantly to the United States, even while arguing that the program has been abused by some employers. Another recipient, Nadella, has publicly discussed holding H-1B status during his career in the United States.
While Trump's remarks focused on Nadella's leadership at Microsoft and his role in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, the CEO's immigration story has often been featured in discussions about skilled-worker visas. The honor for Nadella came as Microsoft pushed back against the administration's characterization of its use of H-1B visas. In a statement shared with Newsweek on Thursday, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company believes in "the strength and talent of the American workforce." "That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans," the statement said.
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