It looks as if the bumbling and untruth-filled presidency of Donald Trump has met its match in an adult-film actress and her lawyer. Reason being? Media moxie.
Clearly, Stormy Daniels (real name: Stephanie Clifford) and her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, are playing up their case against the president with perfect precision.
Daniels alleges that she had a tryst with Trump and was paid $130,000 by Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen to keep it on the low, possibly violating campaign-finance laws. Cohen is currently under federal investigation, and Daniels is suing the president for defamation.
On Saturday, Daniels appeared as herself in the opening skit for Saturday Night Live, speaking on the phone to Alec Baldwin, playing Trump, and presciently saying, “A storm’s a-coming.”
Then, on Sunday morning, The Guardian published a recent interview with Avenatti (who also got his own shoutout for media whoring during the SNL news segment) in which he predicted that this president is going down (don’t even go there), but not through impeachment.
“Ultimately, he is going to be forced to resign,” said Avenatti. “I don’t know how he will ultimately spin his departure, but I firmly believe there is going to be too much evidence of wrongdoing by him and those around him for him to be able to survive the balance of his term.”
The formidable lawyer and Daniels (who not too long ago was featured on 60 Minutes) continue to dangle what many hope will be a smoking gun before the public.
“We have only scratched the surface in this case,” says Avenatti. “Not only do I think that, I know that. There is going to be a significant amount of evidence that’s going to come to light, and when that evidence is presented, and when the American people learn of it, they are going to be disgusted by the conduct of Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, and that serious consequences will result.”
In the interview, Avenatti also took pot shots at Trump’s last, desperate attempt at decent legal counsel for his everlasting fuckups, coming up with former New York City Mayor and sputtering geriatric Rudy Giuliani, whom the president brought onto his legal team less than a week ago. It has been chaos ever since.
“Rudy used to be one hell of a lawyer,” said Avenatti, “but he is far past prime time at this point, as evidenced by his statements over the last two days. He must be confused.”
There is no confusion here about what this presidency is headed. We hope.