Michael Avenatti Drops 2020 Presidential Run

CNBC reports:

Controversial lawyer Michael Avenatti announced Tuesday he will not run for president in 2020. Avenatti, who first gained fame and infamy for his representation of porn star Stormy Daniels in multiple legal cases involving President Donald Trump, said, “I do not make this decision lightly — I make it out of respect for my family.”

“But for their concerns, I would run,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter. Avenatti’s move comes weeks after police in Los Angeles arrested him in connection with an investigation into allegations he assaulted a woman. He has strongly denied those claims, and has not been criminally charged.

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

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) December 4, 2018

Avenatti was polling at 1 percent. His handling of Julie Swetnick was a disaster. He was recently charged with domestic violence. He doesn’t have Trump’s instincts and Democrats don’t have an appetite for a Trump-like candidate. He would have lost badly and embarrassed himself.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) December 4, 2018