Trump wants Fort Knox ‘physically audited’ after stunning $40M arrest — how to (legally) gain access to the rocketing yellow metal

This isn’t a new fixation for Trump, who’s been floating the idea of personally visiting Fort Knox to verify that America’s gold reserves are still there since February 2025.

“We’re going to go into Fort Knox to make sure the gold is there,” he said at the time to reporters. “If it’s not, we’re going to be very upset.”

During an episode of Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson posted May 10th, he reiterated his desire to audit the Kentucky facility, adding, “They steal a lot.”

For generations, Fort Knox has occupied a unique place in the American imagination. The facility houses the United States Bullion Depository and reportedly stores roughly half of the nation’s gold reserves — 147.3 million troy ounces, or over 4,500 tons of gold bullion. That’s worth about $600 billion.

Its reputation for safeguarding immense wealth inspired everything from conspiracy theories to the James Bond classic Goldfinger, turning the vault into a cultural symbol of both financial power and government secrecy.

But while the prospect of physically inspecting America’s gold stockpile may capture public attention, the contents of Fort Knox have far less impact on the average American’s finances than many people assume.

Why Trump wants a Fort Knox audit now

While there is no public evidence linking the case to Fort Knox or the nation’s gold reserves, Trump appeared to reference the David Rush story as he renewed calls for a physical audit of the facility.

According to New York Post reporting, Rush had 303 gold bars, $2 million in cash and nearly three dozen Rolex watches in his possession. He also defrauded the government of roughly $77,000 by falsely claiming military leave hours after his honorable discharge in 2015, according to an affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Matthew T. Johnson.

It is unclear whether the gold bars came from Fort Knox.

The Treasury Department, meanwhile, has consistently maintained that the nation’s gold reserves are accounted for and subject to regular audits and inspections. The Treasury routinely hires independent public accounting firms to audit and certify the Schedules of Custodial Deep Storage Gold and Silver Reserves and the Schedules of United States Gold Reserves Held by Federal Reserve Banks and it regularly posts the results on its website.

The most recent gold and silver report, OIG-26-002, explicitly states that the gold schedules are presented fairly, match physical reality and show “no material weaknesses” in internal controls or physical oversight.

Even if Trump were to get the physical audit he’s calling for, the results would likely have less impact on Americans’ finances than many people expect.

That’s because, while Fort Knox remains the second-largest repository of gold in the world (the first being the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which has 6,000 tons of gold), the U.S. monetary system no longer depends on the precious metal as it once did.

Gold isn’t what backs the dollar anymore

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding Fort Knox is that the gold stored there still backs the U.S. dollar.

It doesn’t.

The United States formally moved away from the gold standard domestically almost a century ago under Franklin D. Roosevelt and internationally in 1971 after the collapse of the Bretton Woods system. Today, the value of the dollar is supported by the strength of the U.S. economy, government institutions and global confidence in the country’s financial system, per the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

That means even if Fort Knox were opened tomorrow and every gold bar accounted for, it wouldn’t directly change mortgage rates, stock prices, retirement account balances or the purchasing power of the dollar.

An audit by Trump might increase public confidence in government transparency, but it would not fundamentally alter how the modern financial system operates. Additionally, the government is already transparent in its audits of gold and silver holdings.

How you can gain exposure to gold

While Fort Knox’s gold reserves may no longer determine the value of the dollar, that doesn’t mean gold has lost its appeal as an investment. Quite the opposite.

Many investors continue to buy gold as a potential hedge against inflation, geopolitical instability and market volatility. Unlike stocks or bonds, physical gold isn’t tied to the performance of a company or government, which can make it an attractive diversification tool during periods of economic uncertainty.

One way to start investing in gold while maintaining certain retirement-account tax advantages is through a gold IRA. These specialized accounts allow investors to hold physical gold and certain other precious metals within an IRA structure.

Priority Gold helps investors open and manage gold IRAs, combining the potential portfolio diversification benefits of precious metals with the tax advantages associated with retirement accounts.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can request a free information guide, which includes details on how qualifying purchases may get up to $10,000 in free silver.

Why asset ownership matters more to most Americans

While politicians debate what’s inside Fort Knox, many Americans face a much more practical financial challenge: Building wealth in an economy where asset ownership has increasingly driven long-term gains.

Historically, households that own appreciating assets — such as stocks, businesses or real estate — have generally accumulated wealth faster than those who rely exclusively on earned income. That’s because assets can grow in value over time and, in many cases, generate additional income through dividends, interest or rental payments.

Thankfully, you don’t need access to a government gold vault or a seven-figure investment portfolio. All you need is a little bit of consistency.

Build ownership one dollar at a time

Whether Fort Knox is audited or not, the bigger financial question for most households remains the same: How can you build ownership in assets that have the potential to grow over the long term?

For many people, the answer starts with creating a consistent investing habit and letting compounding do the heavy lifting.

The beauty of ETF investing is its accessibility. Anyone, regardless of wealth, can gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of assets and even small contributions can compound over time.

Acorns can make that process automatic.