Michael Avenatti has apparently said that he believes Democrats should support his 2020 presidential bid for one particular reason: He is a white man.
In an interview with Time, Mr Avenatti discussed his potential candidacy for the presidency. During the interview, the lawyer said the next Democratic nominee for President of the United States should be someone like him, according to the magazine.
“I think it better be a white male,” Mr Avenatti said, referring to the Democratic nominee. The lawyer later insisted that he had been misquoted.
“When you have a white male making the arguments, they carry more weight,” the interview said. “Should they carry more weight? Absolutely not. But do they? Yes.”
Mr Avenatti received backlash for his comments. Some pointed out other high-profile women as potential candidates for the 2020 presidential election, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
In response to the criticism, The New York lawyer gave an exclusive interview with right-wing website Daily Caller and insisted Time misquoted him entirely.
“I never said that, that’s complete bulls***,” Mr Avenatti told the Daily Caller. “That’s my comment, complete bullsh***.”
Time, however, said they stand by their reporting.
Mr Avenatti rose to prominence this year for suing President Donald Trump on behalf of adult film star Stormy Daniels. Since then, Mr Avenatti has made a name of himself as the anti-Trump lawyer, often representing clients or providing media networks with material damaging to the Trump administration.
Mr Avenatti believes he would be one of the few potential candidates that can “push back” against Mr Trump.
Look, I can be aggressive at times," Mr Avenatti told Time. "I didn’t get to where I am by being a pushover, O.K.? I don’t generally go after people offensively, but if somebody comes after me, I will absolutely meet them every step of the way and then some, no question."
