Morning Brief: Trump’s Crime Crusade, Biden Anti-Christian Bias Exposed, Fall Elections To Watch

The Trump administration conducts the largest single-site immigration raid in U.S. history as the president threatens to send the “Department of War” to Chicago. A new DOJ report alleges a “systematic pattern” of anti-Christian bias across the federal government during the Biden administration. Key gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and a chaotic mayoral race in New York City are shaping up to be major tests ahead of the 2026 midterms.

It’s Monday, September 8, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

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Trump Ramps Up Law & Order Push

Topline: The Trump administration conducted the largest single-site immigration raid in U.S. history at a Georgia manufacturing plant, as the president ramps up his rhetoric against crime-ridden Democrat-run cities.

On Thursday, some 500 federal and state law enforcement officers raided a Hyundai manufacturing plant outside Savannah, arresting 475 people in the largest single-site enforcement action in the history of Homeland Security Investigations. The raid is part of the administration’s broader push to deport one million people per year.

It comes as a gruesome, deadly stabbing in Charlotte, North Carolina, has put another spotlight on soft-on-crime policies. A Ukrainian refugee was brutally killed on a light rail train in an apparently unprovoked attack. The suspect is a homeless man with a lengthy rap sheet who had been released from jail without bond earlier this year.

The incident has fueled President Trump’s rhetoric against Democrat-run cities. Over the weekend, he posted a meme spoofing the film “Apocalypse Now” — titled “Chipocalypse Now” — and wrote that Chicago is “about to find out why it’s called the Department of War.” The post drew outrage from Democrats, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accusing Trump of “threatening to go to war with an American city.”

DOJ Report Alleges Anti-Christian Bias Under Biden

Topline: A new Department of Justice task force report alleges that the Biden administration engaged in “widespread anti-Christian bias” and a “systematic pattern of discrimination” across multiple federal agencies.

The report, commissioned by Attorney General Pam Bondi in April, claims that various departments “weaponized the full weight of the federal government” against Christians. The report alleges:

• The Department of Defense and EEOC denied religious exemptions for COVID vaccine mandates to Christians while approving them for other faiths.
• The Department of Education attempted to impose record-breaking fines on Christian colleges, such as Liberty University and Grand Canyon University.
• The DOJ and FBI used the FACE Act to arrest pro-lifers for praying outside abortion clinics while failing to enforce the law when churches were attacked. An FBI memo also categorized “radical-traditionalist” Catholics as domestic terrorism threats.
• The Treasury Department allegedly “debanked” pro-Christian groups.
• The State Department imposed “radical LGBTQ gender ideology on foreign governments and State employees,” including forcing them to use preferred pronouns and fly rainbow flags in violation of their religious beliefs.

The task force will continue its work and issue a final report in February.

Key Fall Elections to Test Political Landscape

Topline: Closely watched elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City this fall will provide the first major insights into the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

In Virginia, Republicans are fighting to hold the governor’s mansion in a race that is being framed as a referendum on President Trump’s performance so far. Polls show Democrat Abigail Spanberger with a 6-point lead over Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, who is vying to become the first black female governor in U.S. history.

In New Jersey, another gubernatorial race is heating up. While the state is reliably blue in presidential years, Trump’s strong performance there in 2024 has given Republicans hope. Polls show Democrat Mikey Sherrill with a 7-point lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, but the GOP has matched the Democrats in fundraising, and the outgoing Democratic governor is increasingly unpopular.

Perhaps the most-watched race is for the mayor of New York City. Avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani is currently leading in the polls, largely due to a crowded field that is splitting the anti-Mamdani vote between incumbent Eric Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. According to reports, the White House has privately discussed offering administration jobs to Adams and Sliwa in an effort to convince them to drop out and create a one-on-one showdown between Mamdani and Cuomo.