WASHINGTON — On Wednesday night, while returning to Washington on Air Force One, a reporter inquired of President Donald Trump about the possibility of Elon Musk implementing budget reductions at the Pentagon.

Trump’s answer may have left some confused, particularly those who hadn’t closely followed Musk’s recent posts on X.

He stated that Musk would be checking on Fort Knox, the iconic vault of U.S. gold reserves located in Kentucky.

Why would Musk be involved? “To ensure the gold is still there,” Trump replied.

Another journalist appeared bewildered, questioning where the gold might have disappeared to.

Trump emphasized, “If the gold isn’t present, we will be very upset.”

Musk, recognized as the wealthiest individual globally, was traveling with Trump on Air Force One and has recently focused on this matter in his online discussions.

“Who can confirm whether or not the gold has been stolen from Fort Knox?” he tweeted on Monday. “It could be there, or it could not.”

In response to a comment suggesting a livestream, Musk reacted with two fire emojis.

Both Musk and Trump could turn to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for clarity on this topic.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bessent was queried regarding the conspiracy theory during an interview with Wisconsin talk radio host Dan O’Donnell.

“We perform an audit annually,” Bessent assured. “All the gold is accounted for.”

O’Donnell remarked, “People are evidently very concerned about this. Elon Musk has promised to verify the gold’s presence.”

Bessent added that he would gladly organize an inspection for any interested senator.