CNN anchor Jake Tapper on 8 July urged the Trump administration to release all federal records connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying "the public is being played for fools." Tapper asserted that the government is withholding a substantial cache of documents that could identify influential figures who exploited Epstein’s sex-trafficking network. Citing investigative reporter Julie Brown of the Miami Herald, Tapper noted that the FBI’s online vault lists 22 files containing thousands of pages, most of which remain heavily redacted. He called for the publication of victim and witness testimonies, surveillance footage allegedly gathered from Epstein’s properties, as well as the autopsy and official investigation report on Epstein’s 2019 death, with personal information of victims removed. Tapper said the Justice Department has effectively declared the matter closed, despite unanswered questions about the extent of Epstein’s operations and potential accomplices. He argued that full disclosure is necessary to ensure accountability and restore public trust.