Three key figures in the Biden Administration bid farewell to their posts: Garland, Yellen and Austin depart trailing controversies
Each left a legacy marked by controversial decisions that were divisive in public opinion

Merrick Garland, Janet Yellen and Lloyd Austin
Three key figures in the Biden administration left their posts for good after a tumultuous tenure. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said goodbye Friday, just days beforeDonald Trump's arrival in the White House.
Merrick Garland
Merrick Garland officially left the Justice Department after a tenure marked by two failed criminal prosecutions against the incoming president and strong criticism of bias. In his farewell speech, offered Wednesday before Department employees, he recalled his beginnings in the institution more than 40 years ago and thanked the public servants with whom he shared his work during the last four years. Garland used his speech to defend his administration, avoiding mentioning Donald Trump.
In his remarks, he emphasized how difficult it was for him to leave the leadership team, which he said guided the Department with skill, integrity and dedication. He also stressed how complicated it would be to part with his colleagues, mentors and lifelong friends. What he considered most difficult, however, was leaving a position that afforded him the opportunity to uphold the rule of law, protect the safety of citizens and safeguard civil rights.
Garland received applause from staffers as she left the building Friday, but criticism soon followed on social media, reflecting divided opinions about her legacy at the helm of the department.
Janet Yellen
Janet Yellen also served herlast day as U.S. Treasury secretary, being dismissed to applause. However, Yellen's departure was surrounded by criticism, especially on social networks, where she was singled out for her role in the inflation affecting the country.
Before leaving office, Yellen warned that the country would reach its debt ceilingthe day after Donald Trump's inauguration, and that the agency would take "extraordinary measures" to avoid a possible national default. In her farewell speech, delivered last Wednesday, Yellen defended the spending associated with the pandemic, arguing that it was essential to avert an even greater economic crisis and save millions of jobs. However, his legacy was not without controversy, particularly regarding the long-term impact of hiseconomic policies.
Lloyd Austin
Finally, Lloyd Austin left his post as Secretary of Defense after a tenure marked by several large-scale military crises, including the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden Administration, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers. In addition, his tenure was mired in controversy, such as the lack of control over the entry of unverified immigrants into the United States and the opacity around health interventions. These events darkened his time at the helm of the Pentagon, leaving a negative mark on his legacy.