President Donald Trump has promised to investigate the gold reserves at Fort Knox in Kentucky following Elon Musk’s calls for an audit of the precious metal held there.
In response to questions from reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump emphasized the need to ensure the integrity of Fort Knox.
“We will go to Fort Knox, the legendary Fort Knox, to confirm the gold is still there. If it isn’t, we will be very upset,” Trump stated, according to a recording by C-SPAN.
Musk has been promoting an unsubstantiated theory regarding the potential disappearance of gold from Fort Knox. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reassured on a radio show that “all the gold is present and accounted for,” noting that audits are conducted annually.
The U.S. Treasury Department did not immediately reply to USA TODAY’s inquiry.
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What is Fort Knox?
Fort Knox is a military facility located in Kentucky, roughly 40 miles from Louisville. It is famous for storing over 147 million ounces of the U.S. gold reserves.
In addition to its gold, the base has historically housed significant artifacts, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and supports thousands of military personnel, contractors, and their families.
The Fort Knox depository spans an area of 108,955 acres across Hardin, Meade, and Bullitt counties.
According to the U.S. Mint, the Fort Knox depository holds 147.4 million ounces of gold, more than any other facility in the country.
The U.S. owns a total of 8,133.46 metric tons of gold, as reported by the World Gold Council, surpassing any other country and holding more than double Germany’s reserve of 3,351.53 metric tons.
Is gold missing from Fort Knox?
There is currently no evidence indicating that gold is missing from Fort Knox, although access to the base is strictly limited to authorized personnel.
The most recent audit of the Fort Knox reserve occurred in September 1974, where several congressional members confirmed to the public the gold supply was secure, as noted by the U.S. Mint. During this visit, President Gerald R. Ford permitted a select group of journalists to observe.
“The Congressional inspection aligns with the government’s new open-door policy stated by President Ford,” said Mary Brooks, then-director of the Mint, in a press release. “By inviting the press to witness the Congressional audit, we are clearing any doubts and reassuring the public that their gold is safe and intact.”
The last tour of Fort Knox took place on August 24, 2017, during Trump’s presidency. U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and several Congressional representatives were allowed entry, marking the first visit by non-authorized personnel in over four decades, according to the U.S. Mint.
Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at kcrowley@gannett.com, and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.
