Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti took a swipe at his preferred presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, on Tuesday for being unoriginal in saying "Let's make America America again," while at a campaign rally in Iowa.
Biden, the current frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic nomination, spoke in Iowa and called President Donald Trump an existential threat to the United States. He implored voters to help America to become "America again" in a play on Trump's campaign motto to "Make America Great Again."
Avenatti, however, used the line multiple times in 2018 and even this year when he gave Biden what was likely an unwanted endorsement.
"I'm here to send a loud and clear message that there are millions of Americans that want to make America America again," Avenatti said last year in London, according to Fox News.
He also made the comment in a protest of Trump last July.
He tweeted, "I wish I would have thought of this. Oh wait ...," in response Tuesday to a reporter's sharing of Biden's quote. He added, "Since I won't be using it, I’m happy @JoeBiden is using 'Let’s Make America America Again.' Because it's a damn good slogan and message."
Michael Avenatti takes a shot at Biden for saying today in Iowa 'Let’s Make America America Again."
Avenatti used the same phrase a number of times during his brief flirt with a 2020 run of his own before facing a string of legal issues. pic.twitter.com/9qcmZWunNX
— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) June 11, 2019
Once a media darling who parlayed his celebrity as Stormy Daniels's attorney into flirting with a 2020 presidential bid, Avenatti now faces criminal charges in California and New York for a variety of financial crimes including extortion and fraud.
He tweeted out his endorsement of Biden in April, saying the former Vice President had his "enthusiastic support" who has the "intelligence and fortitude to beat Trump and begin to make America, America again."
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Elizabeth Harrington took a dig at Biden over the story, comparing it to his presidential campaign's past plagiarism scandals. He took criticism last week for his campaign cribbing lines about climate change from policy papers without attribution.
"Is there anything Biden won't plagiarize?" she tweeted.
Is there anything Biden doesn't plagiarize? https://t.co/o44S3dDEt4
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) June 11, 2019