President Donald Trump has said he still wants to travel to Fort Knox to verify that the gold stored there remains intact, alleging that 'they steal a lot'. In an interview with journalist Sharyl Attkisson, the 79-year-old was reminded of his February 2025 pledge to inspect the Kentucky military installation, which holds a significant portion of the nation's bullion.
'Well, we wanted to go and knock on their door — Fort Knox, very thick door — and to see whether or not we have any gold in there,' Trump said. He added: 'I wondered if they left the gold in Fort Knox because they steal a lot,' though he did not clarify whom he was referring to.
The president first signalled his intention to conduct an audit shortly after his inauguration in February 2025, during the period when Elon Musk was scrutinising government spending. Musk had promoted longstanding, unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that the gold might have been stolen, according to NBC News. Some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, also called for an examination.
Fort Knox is home to the United States Bullion Depository, a vast underground vault built in 1936. The 'impenetrable fortress' currently houses 147,341,858.382 fine troy ounces of gold, according to the US Mint. No visitors are allowed inside the depository.
Despite Trump's scepticism, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in 2025 that the site is audited every year and that 'all the gold is present and accounted for'. The White House and Fort Knox did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the president has any immediate plans to visit.
