Stormy Daniels' Lawyer Considers Presidential Run Against Trump
(CNN) -- Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing adult film actress Stormy Daniels, floated the possibility Wednesday that he might run for president in 2020.
Avenatti, a frequent and high-profile critic of President Donald Trump, suggested on Twitter that he would run if Trump seeks re-election and if Avenatti does not believe any other candidate would be able to successfully run against the President.
Avenatti followed up with another tweet saying, "To those that claim that only a traditional politician with 'experience' can beat Trump, go back & look at the results from 2016. He beat all 15 of those candidates that he faced (crushed many). If we go down the same path and are not smart, don't be surprised with the result."
Avenatti did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN about whether he has taken any steps toward making a run in 2020 or to lay the groundwork for a bid.
Later on Wednesday, Avenatti told CNN's Jim Sciutto on "The Lead" that he has "brains, heart and courage," which he described as "three things that this President lacks." He added, "I'm deeply disturbed at the direction this country is taking," citing family separations at the US border and the President's approach to US trade policy.
Avenatti has represented Daniels in a legal battle against Trump as well as the President's longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen.
Daniels has accused Trump and Cohen of defamation and has claimed that she had a consensual sexual encounter with Trump over a decade ago.
The White House has repeatedly denied that any such encounter took place.
(The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)
