Avenatti considering 2020 bid again after saying he wouldn’t run

Michael Avenatti is reportedly considering a White House bid after declaring that he would not join the slate of Democratic candidates running for president in 2020.

CNBC reported Saturday that Avenatti said the odds he’ll enter the race are 50-50 and that he plans to make a final decision in a few months.

“Never say never,” Avenatti told the outlet. “The Dems need a non-traditional fighter. They have a lot of talent but not a lot of fighters.”

{mosads}“I am increasingly concerned that the Dems don’t have the right fighter to go toe to toe with Trump,” he continued. “And the future of the republic and our way of life is on the line. He is a brawler who has no bounds. The Dems need a guy who can match him punch for punch. I may be that guy.”

Avenatti is currently representing three women who have alleged sex crimes against musician R. Kelly, and he has previously represented clients such as adult-film star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump and Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen.

Earlier this year, Avenatti was arrested in New York for an alleged $20 million extortion scheme against Nike. In April, federal prosecutors in California indicted him on three dozen criminal counts, including allegedly stealing money from clients and lying about his income to regulators. Avenatti has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“To those that call me a ‘criminal’ – first, I haven’t been convicted of anything by Trump’s DOJ and second, the biggest criminal in America is currently in the White House,” Avenatti told CNBC.

Late last year, Avenatti tweeted a statement saying that he had decided not to run for president “out of respect for my family.” 

“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,” Avenatti wrote in the statement. 

Please see my statement below regarding 2020. pic.twitter.com/ztCfZUY6hA

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) December 4, 2018

Last year, he was also raising money for a potential 2020 campaign through a political action committee named The Fight PAC. The PAC is still active and has raised more than $20,000 this cycle, but it currently has $3,540 on hand, according to CNBC.