Michael Avenatti, who came to fame as the attorney for porn star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump, is assembling a team of political advisers as he mulls a 2020 presidential bid.

And Democratic officials are taking him seriously.

'He's absolutely the person I'm supporting in the 2020 primary, should he decide to run,' Adam Parkhomenko, who founded the Ready for Hillary super PAC, toldPolitico. 'I think he is 90 [percent] to 95 percent leaning toward doing it.'

Michael Avenatti, who came to fame as the attorney for porn star Stormy Daniels, is assembling a team of political advisers as he mulls a 2020 presidential bid

Avenatti is hiring staff to advise him as he contemplates a bid; he said he'll make a decision by January 1

Parkhomenko is acting as a liaison between Avenatti and Democratic National Committee members, superdelegates and state party leaders.

He is part of a team the attorney has put together to help arrange meetings with donors and party officials, craft a message, and build out a digital fundraising operation.

But Avenatti's ambitions suffered from a double whammy last week when he told Time magazine the Democrats' 2020 nominee had 'better be a white male' and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley referred him and Julie Swetnick to the Justice Department for an investigation over accusations she brought against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Avenatti, however, is fighting back.

'I think a lot of people underestimate me,' he told Politico. 'I'm battle-tested, unlike some of the other likely candidates. They're not tough enough. … If you put them in a kinder, gentler time; or against someone else? They'd be great. They'd be better than me. But they don't have a chance in hell against Donald Trump.'

He said he'll make a decision on whether to pursue the Democratic nomination by Jan. 1.

A recent CNN poll gave him a scant 1 percent from Democrats when asked who they wanted to for their 2020 standard bearer against Trump.

But Avenatti sees himself standing out in a potential field of former and current political officials such as former Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris.

In addition to lining up staff and implementing a fundraising operation, Avenatti has visited several important early voting states in the presidential process, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

He's lining up some big names to advise him, including John Robinson, who worked as a chief operating officer for Sanders' 2016 campaign. Roger Salazar, a Sacramento-based former Hillary Clinton operative, is handling his media.

Tracy Austin, a Los Angeles consultant, is helping with fundraising and Amy Wills Gray, who was Ready for Hillary committee treasurer, is acting in the same role for Avenatti's The Fight PAC, the fundraising arm he established to pay for his presidential exploration.

Among the other big Democratic names giving Avenatti advice is Jack Quinn, a former White House counsel under Bill Clinton, who says he's talking to the attorney like he would any other possible candidate.

'If he chooses to run, Michael would bring some clear assets, most specifically, some pretty decent name recognition, clearly, an abundance of intellectual talent and lastly, a pugnaciousness that would serve him well in a race against Donald Trump,' Quinn told Politico. 'Would he be the only one who has some or all of those assets? That remains to be seen.'

Quinn noted he has no plans to sign on to Avenatti's campaign or anyone else's.

'I know Michael, I like him. I consider him a friend,' Quinn said. 'But I have a lot of other friends who also want to be president.'

Avenatti also has issues in his personal life that could bubble up should he decide to pursue the White House.

Last week the Daily Beast reported on multiple legal entanglements facing Avenatti, including tax liens, a failing coffee business, unpaid rent and eviction proceedings.

And it also reported on his messy divorce from his second wife that included details of the lavish Avenatti life style - multimillion-dollar homes, expensive cars and a personal pilot.

Avenatti has visited early voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina

He is representing Daniels as she tries to get out of a non-disclosure agreement she signed with Trump

Avenatti told Politico he hasn't lived his life as if he were running for president.

'There's all kinds of things I would not have done. Do I think any of them are disqualifying? No. Do I think any of them are disqualifying in the age of Donald Trump? Absolutely not,' he said. 'But look, I'm a real guy. I'm a genuine guy. But if I decide to do it and some of these things come out, I'm going to own them.'

Avenatti tweeted in July that he would challenge Trump in 2020 if 'no other candidate in the race that has a REAL chance at beating him. We can't relive 2016. I love this country, our values and our people too much to sit by while they are destroyed.'

Like Trump, Avenatti is a brash political outsider with a natural talent for cable television news, a blistering Twitter feed and a knack for a catchy slogan. He turned those tools against Trump as he represents Daniels and a growing list of critical clients.

Daniels and Avenatti suffered a set back earlier this month when a Los Angeles court ruled in Trump's favor in a defamation lawsuit Daniels filed against him.

The judge ordered Daniels to pay Trump's attorney's fees, saying a tweet the president had written referring to her was protected by free-speech laws.

Daniels alleges she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and sued him in April.

The lawsuit came after Trump tweeted about a composite sketch of a man Daniels says threatened her in 2011 to keep quiet about an alleged affair.

Trump denies the affair.

Avenatti and Daniels are also suing to get her out of a non-disclosure agreement she signed with then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen before the 2016 election.

Whether the trash-talking, sharp-suited, telegenic attorney is the right fit for Democratic presidential nomination in the long run is an open question, as is whether he'd actually want to subject himself to the grind of a campaign.

He admits his appeal is based on his toughness.

'I'm not cute and cuddly,' he has said.

But he told Politico he is seriously considering running.

'It's not a publicity stunt, that's absurd,' he said. 'If I weren't serious about this, I wouldn't go through all this effort to explore.'