While Trump’s newest addition to his team, Rudy Giuliani, has arguably been more of a liability for the already embattled president than an asset, one person has managed to capitalize off of his sideshow attorney more than anyone else: Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti.
Despite having suggested along with Trump only yesterday that there was an FBI informant in Trump’s campaign, Giuliani this morning walked back his claim, admitting that he didn’t know “for sure, nor does the president, if there really was” an such a person.
“Apparently the DOJ put a Spy in the Trump Campaign. This has never been done before and by any means necessary, they are out to frame Donald Trump for crimes he didn’t commit.” David Asman @LouDobbs @GreggJarrett Really bad stuff!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2018
Michael Avenatti offered some advice that the president’s attorney – amid his unabating gaffes – would be well served to follow.
Dear Dazed Rudy: Please retire. Today. You had a good run for many years. But you are distracting from that and quickly becoming an embarrassment. A never ending joke. Don’t let this serve as your legacy. The time has come.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 18, 2018
Unsurprisingly, this is not the first outlandish claim made by the man formerly known as “America’s Mayor.” Only days ago, Giuliani seemed to unilaterally absolve Trump from wrongdoing by suggesting that a president cannot get indicted for a crime, a claim that has since been put into question even by members of the GOP.
“All they get to do is write a report,” Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told CNN. “They can’t indict. At least [Mueller’s team] acknowledged that to us after some battling, they acknowledged that to us.”
While the veracity of Giuliani’s claim, as with anyone in the Trump administration, still leaves much to be desired, the underlying suggestion was clear: even if Trump did something wrong, he is above the law. Not a great talking point for a White House currently mired in scandal.
Then, too, Avenatti predictably pushed back on Giuliani’s absurd suggestion, calling into question not only his judgment, but his entire career.
Mr. Giuliani – have you even tried a single lawsuit to a jury verdict in the last 15 yrs? Have you learned the facts of the case yet? They are not that complicated FYI. Do you need cliff notes on tape? #LongPastPrimeTime #OutToPasture #Tired #DazedConfused
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 17, 2018
The remarks come on the heels of a longstanding and public feud between the two attorneys. Last week, Avenatti challenged Giuliani to a public debate. Unfortunately, Giuliani retained enough sense in his addled mind to reject the idea of being publicly demolished by Avenatti in an open forum. He explained away his refusal with a devastating insult towards Daniel’s advocate in an interview with Business Insider:
“I don’t get involved with pimps. The media loves to give him room because he makes these roundabout charges and they turn out to mean nothing. I think he’s going to get himself in serious trouble,” Giuliani said.
Avenatti responded to the Trump surrogate’s slanderous comment with a perfectly crafted comeback of his own.
Hey Rudy – It turns out I’m not the only “pimp” you have experience with. History evidently is repeating itself. #pimped #bastahttps://t.co/YUmzf0c2oT
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 11, 2018
Trump may have vowed to hire the best people, but he ended up with Giuliani instead. Of course, while that may be a problem for the president, it’s good news for everyone else.
Follow Brian Tyler Cohen on Facebook and Twitter.
