Porn star Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti said Thursday that President Donald Trump made a "disastrous admission" during a "Fox and Friends" interview.

Trump said said his longtime attorney Michael Cohen had "represented" him in the Daniels matter.

Avenatti said in brief remarks outside a federal courthouse that he wishes Trump would appear on "Fox and Friends" every day.



NEW YORK — Porn star Stormy Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, seized on President Donald Trump's Thursday morning remark that his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen "represented" him in the case involving Avenatti's famous client.

The president's comments, Avenatti said, contradicted past statements he has made distancing himself from the Daniels case.

"I thought it was a disastrous admission on the president's behalf, especially after the prior statements that were made," Avenatti told Business Insider outside of federal court in Manhattan on Thursday, pointing to comments Trump made aboard Air Force One when asked about Daniels' allegations.

During a Thursday interview with "Fox and Friends," Trump discussed legal work Cohen conducted on his behalf.

"He represents me like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me," Trump said. "And from what I see, he did absolutely nothing wrong."

Last month, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was not aware of any payment by Cohen to Daniels.

"You'll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You'll have to ask Michael," he said.

Daniels claims the $130,000 payment Cohen made to her just prior to the 2016 presidential election was to keep her quiet about an affair she alleged she had with Trump in 2006.

That payment appears to be front-and-center in not only the civil litigation brought forth by Daniels against Cohen, but in a criminal investigation of the longtime Trump attorney. Earlier this month, the FBI raided Cohen's office, home, and hotel room as part of an probe into whether Cohen violated campaign finance laws or committed bank fraud, The Washington Post reported.

Cohen, who for years has been a close friend and adviser to Trump, has expressed intense loyalty to the president. He once reportedly said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, and he has handled sensitive matters related to him, including the Daniels payment.

Following a Thursday hearing in that Cohen case, Avenatti said during brief remarks that he thinks Trump "should appear on "Fox and Friends" every morning."

During an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" earlier Thursday, Avenatti said Trump's comments were "hugely damaging," adding that he plans to use them against the president and Cohen.

"Another gift from the heavens in this case," Avenatti said. "They keep coming. I don't know how I've fallen into such good luck in this case, but I'm going to take it."

Avenatti was in federal court Thursday after filing a motion that morning seeking to have Daniels join the federal case involving Cohen as an intervening party. US District Judge Kimba Wood said she would not yet rule on whether Daniels could join the case.