Michael Avenatti, the outspoken lawyer representing porn star Stormy Daniels, attributed criticism of his role in Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to Democrats and Republicans being worried about him as a 2020 presidential prospect.

"Want to know why Repubs and some Dems are pathetically trying to make me the scapegoat for the Kavanaugh nomination, watch the below," Avenatti posted on Twitter Sunday, referring to an interview Steve Bannon recently gave to HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." "This, together with the fact that I am not beholden to any of the establishment, is everything you need to know."

[2020 Avenatti: DNC ‘encouragement ... to run’]


During that interview on HBO late last month, Bannon predicted that Avenatti's grit and media smarts would make him a formidable Democratic opponent for Trump's re-election campaign.

"If Bernie Sanders had an ounce of Avenatti's fearlessness, he would've been the Democratic nominee and we would have had a much tougher time beating him," the former White House chief political strategist told Maher. "[Avenatti's] got a fearlessness and he's a fighter. I think he'll go through a lot of this field if he decides to stick with it."

Avenatti is openly exploring the possibility of a bid for the White House, making trips and giving speeches in early voting states, such as Iowa. But he has also received bipartisan scrutiny for representing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's third sexual misconduct accuser, Julie Swetnick.

Swetnick's sworn declaration claiming Kavanaugh in the 1980s touched girls without their consent, spiked drinks, and attended house parties were gang rapes happened has been faulted for inconsistencies and a lack of corroborating evidence. Among skeptical lawmakers to dismiss Swetnick was Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who told NBC News her statement did not contain "credible allegations."