Sidney Powell responds after Trump campaign says she is not part of legal team: '#KrakenOnSteroids'

Sidney Powell, the headline-grabbing attorney who was seemingly part of President Donald Trump's legal team, responded late Sunday to the Trump campaign's statement that she was, in fact, never a member of the campaign's legal team.

What's the background?

In a shock move late Sunday, Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis and Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani released a statement that said:

Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.

The announcement was, of course, surprising given that Powell appeared at a press conference last week with Trump's legal team during which she claimed widespread voter fraud had occurred through voting software. Powell was even identified on TV as a member of Trump's legal team.

Even Trump himself referred to Powell as a member of his legal team just nine days ago.

What did Powell say?

In an initial statement provided to CBS News, Powell said she was aware of the Trump team's statement and continued to claim that Trump had votes "stolen" in the election.

"I understand today's press release. I will continue to represent #WeThePeople who had their votes for Trump and other Republicans stolen by massive fraud through Dominion and Smartmatic, and we will be filing suit soon. The chips will fall where they may, and we will defend the foundations of this great Republic. #KrakenOnSteroids," she said.

In a second, more lengthy statement, Powell said she "agreed" that she is not a member of Trump's legal team:

I agree with the campaign's statement that I am not part of the campaign's legal team. I never signed a retainer agreement or sent the President or the campaign a bill for my expenses or fees. My intent has always been to expose all the fraud I could find and let the chips fall where they may–whether it be upon Republicans or Democrats.

The evidence I'm compiling is overwhelming that this software tool was used to shift millions of votes from President Trump and other Republican candidates to Biden and other Democrat candidates. We are proceeding to prepare our lawsuit and plan to file it this week. It will be epic. We will not allow this great Republic to be stolen by communists from without and within or our votes altered or manipulated by foreign actors.

Confusion over Powell's status, and the Trump campaign's clear attempt to distance themselves from Powell, came after Republican lawmakers and Fox News host Tucker Carlson exerted pressure on Trump's legal team to prove their voter fraud allegations.

On Sunday, even former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a staunch Trump ally, called Trump's legal team and their unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud a "national embarrassment."