“Stan Grot (R) was in the race for an open Michigan House seat — until the Republican suddenly wasn’t. In the meantime, his wife, Sylvia Grot (R), joined the contest,” the Detroit News reports.

“The situation in Macomb County’s 36th state House District, which will have a special primary election on March 1, appears to be an example of political strategy at play.”

“Stan Grot, a former secretary of state candidate who’s well-known within the Michigan GOP, filed to run for the seat in late December, which could have scared other potential contenders out of the race. Then Sylvia Grot filed her campaign paperwork before the Jan. 7 deadline. And Stan Grot withdrew this past Monday after the filing deadline.”

A year out of office, Donald Trump “feels increasingly emboldened to remain in politics after watching top Republicans bend to his will despite his role in the January 6 insurrection and because of the myriad challenges President Joe Biden has faced during his first term so far,” CNN reports.

One current Trump adviser said the former president was “still pretty dejected up until a few months ago, when his whole demeanor started changing the worse things became for Biden.” Only then, the adviser said, did Trump begin “seriously thinking about 2024 and what he needs to do this year so that he’s in a solid position for another campaign.”