Michael Avenatti on Thursday addressed the Ethnic Council, one of many DNC subgroups to meet over the committee's three-day meeting in Chicago. | Mark Lennihan/AP Photo Avenatti stirs up DNC meeting

CHICAGO — The media circled him. Onlookers stopped him to take selfies. His entrance into a little-known committee meeting created an unmistakable buzz.

On the first day of the DNC summer meeting on Thursday, attorney Michael Avenatti proved as recognizable and media-savvy as any of the prospects considering running for the party’s presidential nomination in 2020.


The attorney best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against President Donald Trump — now flirting with a presidential run of his own — appeared eager to convince that he’s more than just a face on TV.

Avenatti addressed the Ethnic Council, one of many DNC subgroups to meet over the three-day Chicago meeting, where he railed against family separations and the treatment of immigrants at the border. He later talked to the Black Caucus about a loss of empathy in America.

“The fact of the matter is, is that Donald Trump would not be in office today had he not convinced a lot of people that look like me that their success and dignity depended on trampling the rights of women, minorities, African-Americans, Muslims and others,” Avenatti told the Black Caucus. “A lot of these groups now are fighting for their very survival, and the fact of the matter is, is it cannot be their fight alone. People that look like me, white men, we need to stand up, and we need to say, ‘Enough.’”

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The California attorney then did a live hit with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

Avenatti said he was invited to speak to more DNC groups on Friday.

“I think I’m a man of substance, frankly,” Avenatti said. “I think actually when people hear me speak and when I answer questions about the issues, they’re taken aback in a significant way.

Avenatti has already visited Iowa twice, as well as New Hampshire, Ohio and Florida. He says he’s committed to visiting 20 states to help congressional and local Democratic candidates raise money before the midterm elections.

Talking to the media, Avenatti lashed out at Republicans — and Trump — for politicizing the recent murder of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts, which the president has repeatedly cited as a reason for stronger immigration laws. Authorities have said the man charged in Tibbetts’ murder is an undocumented immigrant.

“That family should be allowed to grieve appropriately. It’s a very tragic case and any candidate or party that tries to politicize that death should face the wrath of voters and frankly, society,” Avenatti said. “I will tell you, that in the event that death is politicized, and in the event that I have any opportunity to comment on that, I’m going to bring down a load of bricks on whoever attempts to do that, because I think it’s an absolute outrage.”

David Siders contributed to this report.