Avenatti announces that he will not run for president in 2020

2020

The celebrity lawyer says his family has requested that he not mount a presidential campaign against Donald Trump.

Michael Avenatti announced on Tuesday that he will not run for president in 2020, saying his family has requested that he not mount a campaign, while also warning that the Democratic Party must put up an aggressive candidate against Donald Trump.

“I do not make this decision lightly — I make it out of respect for my family. But for their concerns, I would run,” Avenatti said in a statement.

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Avenatti, who rose to fame last year representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her litigation against Trump, has frequently cast himself as uniquely qualified to go up against the president. Over the past few months, he visited early voting states and started building a political consulting network. But in recent weeks, personal and business woes have piled up, tanking his political fortunes.

In his statement, Avenatti said he will still represent Daniels and that his battle against Trump is far from over.

“I will continue to represent Stormy Daniels and others against Donald Trump and his cronies and will not rest until Trump is removed from office, and our republic and its values are restored,” he said.

Avenatti also offered up advice for the Democratic Party, which is contending with a sprawling field of potential candidates.

“I remain concerned that the Democratic Party will move toward nominating an individual who might make an exceptional President but has no chance of actually beating Donald Trump,” he wrote. “The party must immediately recognize that many of the likely candidates are not battletested and have no real chance at winning. We will not prevail in 2020 without a fighter. I remain hopeful the party finds one.”