Porn star lawyer Avenatti takes his fighting message to Iowa

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Avenatti's crusade for the porn actress taking on the president has already catapulted him to cable news stardom and endeared him to many frustrated liberals. Now the self-styled "dragon slayer" is taking his message to Iowa Democrats.

And the attorney who has spent months positioning himself as one of President Donald Trump's leading critics insists this foray into Iowa — an early proving ground on the presidential campaign calendar — is not a stunt.

"I am not proposing this to get under the president's skin," Avenatti said in an interview. "I am seriously considering it, and I think a lot of it is going to hinge on what direction I think the party is taking and who is likely to get in the race.