LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — President Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk would inspect Fort Knox, the renowned depository for American gold reserves in Kentucky, to verify the presence of the gold. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that annual audits ensure all gold is accounted for. Since 1937, the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox has safeguarded precious metal reserves and is synonymous with security. Besides storing gold, Fort Knox serves as the Army’s human resources command center and hosts its largest annual training event each summer. “We’re going to open up the doors. We’re going to inspect Fort Knox,” Trump stated during a speech to Republican governors. “I don’t want to open it and the cupboards are bare,” he added. The facility spans 109,000 acres across three Kentucky counties and was established during World War I. The first gold arrived in 1937, guarded by the 1st Cavalry Regiment. In 2005, the Army relocated the Armor Center and School to Fort Benning, Georgia, establishing the Human Resource Command Center of Excellence at Fort Knox. The U.S. Mint reports current gold holdings at 147.3 million ounces, with about half of the Treasury’s gold stored there. Only small quantities have been removed for purity testing during audits. The depository is highly secure, with limited public access granted only three times. In 1974, journalists and a congressional delegation visited to dispel rumors of missing gold. In 2017, then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin toured the facility with Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin. Fort Knox’s reputation for security has made it a cultural icon, featured in films like “Goldfinger” and “Stripes.” — news from The Associated Press
