Michael Avenatti, a chief critic of US President Donald Trump and the lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels, has been taken into police custody following an allegation of domestic violence, according to a law enforcement official.

Police had responded to an alleged domestic violence incident on Tuesday and took a report but Avenatti was taken into custody on Wednesday, the official told the Associated Press.

He remained in custody on Wednesday afternoon.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP)

Avenatti, who has said he is mulling a 2020 presidential run, rose to prominence as Daniels’s lawyer and pursued the president and those close to him relentlessly for months, taunting Mr Trump in interviews and baiting him and his lawyers in tweets.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has alleged she had an affair with Mr Trump in 2006 and has sued to invalidate the confidentiality agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election that prevents her discussing it.

She also sued Mr Trump and his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, alleging defamation.