Physical Address

304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124

No, Janet Yellen didn’t quit as treasury secretary | Fact check

A Nov. 24 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) claims to share a development involving a member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.
“Breaking news: Janet Yellen, treasury secretary, resigns abruptly,” text in the post’s image reads.
The Instagram post received more than 700 likes in two days. Similar versions spread widely on Instagram, on Threads and on X, formerly Twitter.
More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page
Yellen had not resigned when the post was shared, a Treasury Department spokesperson said. She posted to her government-verified X account after the claim about her supposed resignation circulated.
Treasury Department spokesperson Ashley Schapitl told USA TODAY two days after the post was made that Yellen remained treasury secretary.
Fact check: No, Trump did not name Lauren Boebert education secretary on Nov. 13
A day after the claim was shared, Yellen posted to her government-verified X account about the unveiling of a portrait of Jack Lew, who served as treasury secretary under former President Barack Obama. Had she left the position as claimed in the Instagram post, she surely would not have had access to that official social media account.
Additionally, Yellen – who in 2021 became the first woman to head the Department of the Treasury – remained listed in that position on the agency’s website, which posted no announcements about her supposed departure.
The claim appears to have originated from a Nov. 23 article in the New York Post. Its headline reads, “Janet Yellen departs from office − as she leaves a trail of mess behind her.” But that story explains that Yellen’s departure isn’t expected until January 2025, not in November, as part of the transition from Biden’s administration to the second term for President-elect Donald Trump. Trump said he will nominate hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his treasury secretary.
USA TODAY previously debunked false claims that Yellen was arrested for treason and that she and several other Biden administration officials failed to swear “an allegiance to the Constitution.”
USA TODAY reached out to several social media users who shared the claim but did not immediately receive any responses.
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

en_USEnglish