Michael Avenatti, lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels and potential 2020 presidential candidate, sparred Thursday evening with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson as the two discussed Daniels’ alleged extramarital affair with President Trump.
Avenatti questioned why Carlson — who has previously accused Avenatti of being a “creepy porn lawyer” — did not use a similar term for Trump. Fox News displayed graphics during the interview such as “Tucker takes on creepy porn lawyer” and “Does America want creepy porn lawyer as pres?”
“Why is it that you don’t call Donald Trump the creepy porn president? He is the one that had sex with a 4-month-old at home with my client without a condom,” Avenatti said.
Avenatti later noted that Carlson had continually attacked and referred to Daniels as a porn star, while giving Trump a “pass.”
“You are a moralizer for a guy who does what you do. … You are a little moralizer. Like, we’re in church now, ‘with a four-month-old son,’” Carlson said, mocking Avenatti.
Carlson asked why Avenatti was “exploiting” Daniels as she worked at strip clubs, while Avenatti was “getting rich,” wearing expensive suits and appearing on television. Avenatti defended himself, and said that Daniels truly wanted to work at the strip clubs and that Carlson did not know anything about his client.
Avenatti eventually told Carlson to show him and Daniels some respect by refraining from calling Daniels a porn star and him a “creepy porn lawyer,” before asking Carlson if he had a “problem” with porn.
“When was the last time you saw porn?” Avenatti asked Carlson.
“Oh, you busted me. Actually, I’m into humiliation porn. That’s why I watch you on CNN,” Carlson said as he guffawed.
Daniels has been embroiled in a legal battle with Trump over an alleged extramarital affair. Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 in exchange for her silence on the affair, but she filed a lawsuit earlier this year, claiming the nondisclosure agreement she signed should be nullified because Trump didn’t sign it.
[Related: Trump chooses not to enforce Stormy Daniels nondisclosure agreement]
Cohen pleaded guilty in August to charges including tax evasion, willful cause of unlawful corporate contribution, and excessive campaign contribution.
The campaign finance violations were related to payments Cohen made to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claimed to have had an affair with Trump years ago. While court filings didn’t mention Trump by name, Cohen said they were paid at the direction of the “candidate” in exchange for their silence on the affairs.
Avenatti has previously appeared on Fox News in an interview with the network’s Shannon Bream. He was expected to appear on the network in April, but ultimately canceled due to a schedule conflict.
Watch the clip below:
