Was Donald Trump Paid in Gold Bars?

In recent years, rumors have circulated that Donald Trump received payments in gold bars from foreign interests during or after his presidency.

While specific claims vary, they feed suspicions about Trump’s finances and potential foreign entanglements. But do available facts support or debunk allegations that Trump accepted gold bullion from overseas sources?

Examining the origins of this conspiracy theory provides lessons in critically analyzing sensational claims.

Introduction

Donald Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns and alleged opaque business dealings have fueled speculation about his sources of income and assets [1]. In this environment of uncertainty, various unproven theories have emerged for how Trump may have secretly profited from his presidency. Claims that shadowy payments were rendered to Trump in gold bars represent perhaps the most dramatic version of these suspicions.

In this article, we’ll review the origins of rumors about Trump receiving gold bullion and assess their credibility against available evidence. Our analysis illustrates the importance of corroborating conspiratorial claims rather than accepting them at face value without confirmation.

Origins of the Gold Bar Theory

The notion that Donald Trump received bars of gold tied to foreign financial interests appears to have first emerged in 2018 on anonymous online forums. Several dubious websites amplified the uncorroborated theory [2].

But the claim gained wider attention after Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen testified to Congress in February 2019. Cohen stated he witnessed Trump receiving a $10,000 payment in gold bars from a Russian businessman [3]. No further evidence was provided.

Some consequently began confidently asserting Trump was paid in gold by Russia and Saudi Arabia. But in truth, the allegation traced back to a lone vague claim, rather than established findings.

Lack of Supporting Evidence

No direct evidence from any named source has publicly emerged to confirm these supposed gold payments occurred:

• No documents or bank records documenting any gold bar transactions have been produced [4].
• No additional witnesses have provided statements corroborating Cohen’s claim of seeing a payment.
• No photos or videos show any gold changing hands between Trump and foreign emissaries.
• No investigative findings from oversight agencies have cited gold payments.

Without further proof, the initial claim remains unverified hearsay.

Transferring Gold Would Risk Discovery

Importing large quantities of gold into the U.S. is complex, with many reporting requirements that would pose risks for illicit payments [5]:

• Regulations require declaring gold imports exceeding $10,000 in value, making covert import difficult [6].
• Large gold payments would need to be declared as income and assets to avoid tax evasion charges.
• Minimal benefits exist to paying in difficult-to-trace gold versus currency when route can be documented by regulators.

These realities undermine notions of covert gold payments. Cash offers simpler means for any hypothetical quid pro quo.

Lack of Precedent in Previous Bribery Cases

Past bribery schemes rarely involved payments rendered in gold bars [7]:

• Typical examples involve briefcases of cash, wire transfers, or money laundered through normal financial channels.
• When minerals are exploited to enrich leaders, it is through extraction from mines by corporations, not private gold bar donations.
• Gold is relatively cumbersome compared to currency; suitcases of cash allow greater portability.

In absence of any pattern around gold in bribery historically, claims of Trump specifically being paid that way deserve added skepticism.

Trump’s Known Income Sources

While Trump’s tax records are not fully public, his general income sources between 2017-2021 were documented through mandatory disclosures [8]:

• His main income derived from his hotels, resorts, golf properties and licensing deals under the Trump Organization.
• After leaving office, Trump also earned fees from political rallies and selling merchandise promoting his continued political interests.

No identified income stream in Trump’s recent records suggests illicit gold bullion payments.

Conclusion

Upon careful inspection, available evidence does not substantiate sensational claims about Donald Trump receiving gold bar compensation from foreign interests before, during, or after his presidency. This theory appears founded on a single uncorroborated statement, rather than the documentation that would reasonably accompany such extraordinary alleged transactions.

While Trump’s financial opacity justifiably breeds suspicion, the notion he was paid in gold remains conspiratorial thinking ungrounded in facts.

This example offers a valuable case study in scrutinizing rather than sharing unverified claims, no matter how severe the charges or compelling we may find them. A disciplined search for affirmative proof remains the most reliable means of ascertaining truth around such salacious rumors.

References

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/27/us/trump-taxes-takeaways.html

[2] https://www.truthorfiction.com/was-donald-trump-paid-in-gold-bars-by-saudi-arabia-and-russia/

[3] https://www.vox.com/2019/2/27/18243325/cohen-testimony-gold-bars-box

[4] https://www.factcheck.org/2019/03/meme-falsely-claims-exposed-russian-gold-bars/

[5] https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/31/large-gold-deposits-could-rewrite-the-history-books-on-how-earth-was-formed.html

[6] https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-190?language=en_US

[7] https://jfsdigital.org/articles-and-essays/2019/10/2/gold-art-and-money-laundering

[8] https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/trump-earned-at-least-1-6-billion-while-president/