Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was dismissive of lawyer Michael Avenatti’s potential bid for the White House, comparing his lack of experience in government to President Trump’s.
“I think he’s an effective lawyer for his client,” Swalwell told NBC News, referring to porn star Stormy Daniels who is suing the president to get out of a nondisclosure agreement about an alleged extramarital affair. “You look at rolling the dice and electing a developer from Manhattan who had no experience, and that’s been a nightmare.”
Swalwell has sparked his own rumors about a presidential bid in 2020, making numerous trips in the last year and half to Iowa, a state seen as a key stop for presidential hopefuls, and appearing almost daily on cable news.
He said he’s not ruling out a presidential run in 2020, but that his focus is on regaining the House majority in the 2018 midterms elections.
Both Avenatti and Swalwell visited the Iowa State Fair last week. Avenatti confirmed to the Washington Examiner he’ll visit New Hampshire, another key stop on the campaign trail, in September.
Avenatti told NBC News that Democrats need to nominate a candidate who has the ability to beat Trump, instead of focusing on credentials.
“I think that if the Democratic Party focuses on nominating who will make the best president, that’s going to be a critical mistake,” he said. “There’s only one question at the end of the day, and that question is: Can the potential nominee beat Donald Trump?”
