Michael Avenatti offered rare praise of President Trump for his ability to bypass the media and communicate directly with his supporters.

“When it comes to campaigning, his messaging and his ability to excite people, I think he’s brilliant,” Avenatti told Paper magazine. “I think the guy is the best around. He’s a hell of a communicator and we need to recognize that.”

Avenatti announced in July he was considering challenging Trump for the White House in 2020 if he doesn’t think any other Democrat can beat the Republican president.

The lawyer, who’s representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against Trump and his former longtime attorney Michael Cohen, has been compared to the president for his media savvy and antagonizing of his opponents.

Avenatti often turns to Twitter and cable news to taunt his critics, including the president, taking a page from the Trump playbook.

“He's done a remarkable job using Twitter as a platform and being able to communicate his message directly to people and bypass the media filter,” Avenatti said of Trump. “That's the other thing — too many people have underestimated this man. He is not to be underestimated. When it comes to policy, when it comes to dealing with North Korea, when it comes to serious problems, I think the guy's a total buffoon.”

[Avenatti: Democrats 'too frightened' to go on TV]