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Michael Avenatti’s ‘white male’ comments spark outrage

The lawyer reportedly denied making the comments.

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David Gilmour

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Michael Avenatti came under fire on Thursday after being quoted as saying that the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020 “better be a white male” during a lengthy profile for Time magazine.

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Avenatti, the lawyer who represented both porn star Stormy Daniels in her bid to sue President Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh accuser Julie Swetnick, is considered a potential 2020 candidate himself.

“I think it better be a white male,” he said. “When you have a white male making the arguments, they carry more weight. Should they carry more weight? Absolutely not. But do they? Yes.”

Avenatti goes on to explain in the 3,000-word article that he believes being a white male has allowed him to succeed in defending or advocating for his female and immigrant clients.

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There was widespread backlash to the comments, among those on the political left and the right.

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Avenatti responded via Twitter on Thursday afternoon. 

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Asked about the remarks and the article by CNN, Avenatti said, “I was misquoted, and it was taken out of context.”

“A big tenet of my speeches is that we need more white men standing up and speaking up to defend women and minorities,” he told the network. “When they do that, it carries weight among other white men.”

According to conservative website the Daily Caller, Avenatti outright denied he’d made the comment.

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“I never said that, that’s complete bullshit,” he reportedly told the Daily Caller, repeating that the comments as printed were “not what [he] said.”

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