The path to the White House is strewn with the remnants of former Never Trumpers, including vice president-elect J.D. Vance, who once labeled his future running mate as “America’s Hitler.” However, a recent tribute from one-time Trump critic Michael Avenatti stands out as particularly puzzling.
“Congratulations to President Trump on his unprecedented, dominant result,” Avenatti, 53, posted on X from his prison cell the day after the election. “There’s no denying his instincts, toughness, and resiliency.”
Avenatti, who initially represented Stormy Daniels in her non-disclosure suit against Trump, was a vocal anti-Trump figure during Trump’s first term, often appearing on CNN and MSNBC. At the height of his popularity among the anti-Trump crowd, he even considered a 2020 Democratic primary run to challenge Trump.
Those ambitions quickly collapsed, though, when it emerged that Avenatti had embezzled nearly $300,000 in book proceeds from Daniels and defrauded other clients, including an attempted extortion of Nike.
Now serving time at FCI Terminal Island in San Pedro, where internet access is supposedly restricted, Avenatti’s recent post raises questions. The prison’s handbook states that inmates do not have any access to the internet. Nevertheless, Avenatti appears to have bypassed these restrictions, as he not only posted on X but also responded to The Hollywood Reporter through a third party.
“I am not at all surprised by the result,” Avenatti wrote back. “The Democrats of today once again proved incapable of connecting with working people’s concerns, as Bill Clinton once did. Trump is undeniably a political force, with strong instincts and an effective communication style.”
So what’s behind Avenatti’s shift in stance toward his former rival? Some suggest it might be strategic. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal of his 2021 conviction in the Nike case, and though a judge recently agreed to review his 14-year sentence, Avenatti remains in prison until at least 2035. That is, unless a certain incoming president considers a pardon.
