Porn star Stormy Daniels’ lawyer this week acknowledged what many of his detractors already suspected: His top priority is to be on TV as much as he can.
Michael Avenatti said it’s more than a priority, it’s part of his legal strategy that will at some point translate into a court victory against President Trump. Avenatti is suing Trump to void a nondisclosure agreement Daniels signed to keep her from talking about her alleged affair with Trump that she has alternately denied and discussed at length in public.
On Sunday, Avenatti said his plan is to be a relentless presence in the media, which he said would force President Trump’s team of lawyers to also talk in the press and make “huge errors.”
“Listen up: Not all cases are the same nor is the winning strategy,” he tweeted. “Here, the constant media/PR pressure has forced Trump, Cohen, et al. to make a series of huge errors and to make damaging admissions helpful to our case. This was not by accident. And we’re not changing.”
Listen up: Not all cases are the same nor is the winning strategy. Here, the constant media/PR pressure has forced Trump, Cohen, et al. to make a series of huge errors and to make damaging admissions helpful to our case. This was not by accident. And we’re not changing. #basta
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 6, 2018
Avenatti has already been on TV enough to prompt Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s new personal lawyers, to charge that he’s really just auditioning for a show on CNN in case Daniels’ case against Trump ever reaches an end point. Last week, Avenatti boasted that he only goes on about one-third of the shows that ask him.
But in the last few days, Avenatti has stepped it up by inviting himself on news shows.
“I think it would be very helpful for the public to witness a discussion between Mr. Giuliani and me concerning the facts of the case, etc.,” he tweeted. “I am willing to participate on any network provided both sides are provided a fair shake. I am also willing to do it on 12-hrs notice.”
I think it would be very helpful for the public to witness a discussion between Mr. Giuliani and me concerning the facts of the case, etc. I am willing to participate on any network provided both sides are provided a fair shake. I am also willing to do it on 12-hrs notice.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 8, 2018
He’s also making a push to get on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News.
“Hey @foxnews – instead of having your pathetic surrogates attack me and my client without us present, why don’t you instruct your No. 1 guy @seanhannity to stop dodging me and debate me on his show?” he tweeted Monday. “Why are you avoiding this?”
And when Laura Ingraham asked him to come on her Fox News show, he said he was holding out for Hannity.
“Thanks but I’ve been really clear as to the next Fox show I will appear on, and that’s Sean’s show,” he said last week. “I keep asking and the network keeps dodging me. I’ll even go on with Rudy if need be. What are they afraid of?”
Thanks but I’ve been really clear as to the next Fox show I will appear on, and that’s Sean’s show. I keep asking and the network keeps dodging me. I’ll even go on with Rudy if need be. What are they afraid of?#myturn https://t.co/QbI3znD6KF
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 3, 2018
Some might argue his plan is working. Giuliani made a controversial statement last week by admitting that Trump reimbursed his other lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the hush money he paid to Daniels. Avenatti immediately claimed that showed Trump was lying when he said in April he wasn’t aware of those payments, although Giuliani said Trump had only just become aware.
But Avenatti has also had some misfires. Last week, after NBC erroneously reported that Cohen had been wiretapped as part of the investigation into Trump and his possible ties to Russia, Avenatti expounded at length on the importance of this news, and said he was aware that Cohen’s text messages were also being collected.
NBC later retracted the story, instantly shattering Avenatti’s theories.
Still, the lawyer insists that being on TV all the time is somehow going to help him win the case.
“A lot of people have criticized me for how often I appear on television,” he said Monday night on MSNBC. “Well guess what? It’s working.”
