When lawyer Sidney Powell promised to “release the Kraken” after the 2020 election, MAGA world thought she had the proof to overturn everything. What she really had was a pile of conspiracy theories, rejected affidavits, and legal filings that collapsed on contact with reality.
The promise
Powell told Fox News and friendly media outlets that she possessed overwhelming evidence of an international plot to flip votes through Dominion machines, Venezuelan servers, and secret algorithms. The phrase “Release the Kraken” went viral overnight. Supporters expected courtroom fireworks that would “prove” Trump really won.
The record
- Every major lawsuit Powell filed—Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin—was dismissed for lack of evidence or standing.
- Judges, including Republican appointees, wrote that her claims were “unsupported,” “fantastical,” and “not credible.”
- No state audit or federal review found proof of mass vote manipulation.
- Powell eventually admitted in court that “reasonable people would not regard her statements as fact.”
The fallout
Her “Kraken” team became a symbol of election denial gone wrong. Powell faced sanctions, disbarment proceedings, and criminal charges in Georgia tied to the fake electors case. Even her allies quietly backed away. The lawsuits meant to reveal a plot ended up revealing how easily rumor can wear the costume of evidence.
What the evidence shows
There was no Kraken. There were court transcripts, filings, and rulings—all public, all searchable. Every one tells the same story: when asked for proof, the myth folded. The rule of law held. The evidence stood up. The slogan didn’t.