Donald Trump Is Going To Fort Knox To Make Sure The Gold Is Still There

On Wednesday evening, while speaking with journalists aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump revealed plans to closely examine Fort Knox to verify the condition of the nation’s gold reserves. 

“We’re going to head to Fort Knox to confirm the gold is still there,” Trump stated. “We’re hoping everything checks out, but if it turns out the gold is missing, we’re not going to be happy about it.”

Elon Musk, a prominent figure in the DOGE initiative, quickly reacted on X after Trump’s remarks went viral, suggesting, “A live stream from Fort Knox would be.”

Why the focus on Fort Knox’s gold? Axios reports that the heavily guarded facility stores more than half of the U.S. Treasury’s gold holdings, totaling roughly 147 million troy ounces. 

The depository’s reputation for secrecy, coupled with recent DOGE disclosures about inefficiencies and misconduct in federal agencies, has fueled public curiosity about what’s really happening inside its walls.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed the issue this week in a Bloomberg interview, assuring that “all the gold is accounted for.” He noted a September 30, 2024, report confirming the reserves and added that senators wishing to inspect the site could coordinate a visit through his office. However, he had no personal plans to travel to Kentucky. When pressed on whether he’d consider revaluing the gold reserves, Bessent avoided making any firm.

The topic regained traction earlier this month after Musk responded to a February X post by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who mentioned being repeatedly denied access to Fort Knox during his tenure. Musk wrote, “Who’s verifying that the gold at Fort Knox hasn’t been taken? It might be there, it might not. That gold belongs to the American people—we deserve to know if it’s still there.”