Trump Still Wants to Verify U.S. Gold Reserves at Ft. Knox

“It’s a very interesting question. We played with that. I wonder if they left the gold in Fort Knox, because they steal a lot,” the president mused to Attkisson. “I do want to go to Fort Knox sometime. I want to see if the gold is there, which I’m sure it will be.”

Access to Fort Knox’s vaults has been heavily restricted for decades. In 1974, journalists and a Congressional delegation were granted a tour amidst speculation that the government’s valuable gold reserves had been looted. In 2017, then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin visited Fort Knox to inspect the gold stash, The Post reported, adding:

There’s at least 147.3 million ounces — 9.2 million lbs. — worth of gold sitting in the vaunted bullion, whose elaborate security has become something of a cultural phenomenon.

The government assesses the book value of $42.22 per ounce, totaling about $6.2 billion, according to data from the US Mint. But that’s far below market value, which is hovering around $4,700 an ounce.