president Donald Trump And his once-close ally Elon Musk has raised a major question about the status of the federal government’s gold reserves at the Fort Knox base. kentuckyafter they win the 2024 US election.
Trump and Musk, who have now parted ways, spread unsubstantiated speculation on social media: gold May have been “stolen” at Fort Knox. They said they planned to check on the condition of the reserve – a discussion that dominated headlines for days.
Nearly two years after Trump was elected president of the United States, the issue has taken a backseat to the 79-year-old president’s agenda. But on Sunday, Trump brought up the issue again during an interview with Sharyl Atkison on “Full Measures.”
Asked about the prospect of an audit of Fort Knox’s gold reserves, Trump said he and Elon Musk “played” with the issue.
“We wanted to knock on the door and see if there was gold in there,” Trump said. “That’s what we played with. I wonder if they left the gold at Fort Knox because they stole a lot of it. I do want to go to Fort Knox sometime.”
As reported when the issue first arose, the US president indirectly assured that gold was still around.
What Trump and Elon Musk say about Fort Knox gold
On February 17, 2025, Elon Musk posted on X speculating on the status of gold reserves at Goldman Army Airport in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Notably, the vaults beneath the Air Force base hold gold, accounting for more than half of all U.S. gold reserves. It can hold approximately 9.2 million pounds. As of May 2026, gold is worth $6.2 billion.
“Who can confirm that the gold from Fort Knox was not stolen?” Musk wrote. “Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s not there. That gold belongs to the American public! We want to know if it’s still there.”
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Trump’s focus on the issue has fueled speculation surrounding the Biden administration. Speaking to Republican governors on February 21, 2025, he said he and Musk would visit Fort Knox to “make sure the gold is still there.”
“We’re going to open the door… I don’t want to open it and the cupboard is empty,” he said. “Did someone steal the gold from Fort Knox?”
It’s worth noting that it’s unclear when Fort Knox’s gold reserves were audited. Hoaxes and speculation about gold reserves often circulate. For example, in 1974, a group of reporters and a congressional delegation visited the facility and inspected it. In 2017, then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin visited the Fort Knox gold reserve to inspect its condition.
