A Texas man who was criticized for making a political statement after he spent $4,000 at an auction to smash a Taylor Swift guitar said he meant it as a joke.
Gary Estes, 67, was captured on camera walking up to receive the instrument at the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner in Waxahachie on Saturday.
Once he was handed the guitar, Estes went to work and smashed it gleefully with a hammer as the crowd burst into laughter.
But his reasoning, he insists, was not malicious.
The dinner is an annual charity event that benefits agricultural-based education efforts for local youth - which Estes deemed the appropriate time to set his joke into motion.
Gary Estes, 67, gave a surprising reason why he spent $4,000 at an auction to smash a Taylor Swift guitar on Saturday
Once he was handed the guitar, Estes went to work and smashed it gleefully with a hammer as the crowd burst into laughter
But his reasoning. he insists, wasnt with malicious intentions. The dinner is an annual charity event that benefits agricultural-based education efforts for local youth - which Estes (left) deemed the appropriate time to set his joke into motion.
He told NBC News: It was just a joke at an auction that we had to raise money for kids, right? And thats all it was.
There was nothing mean about it, nothing bad about it. It was just a joke that they were making up on the stage, and we just followed through with a joke.
The auctioneer Craig Meier said it was a bit that played well in the room.
But Meier did reveal that it was an obvious political statement that dug into Taylor Swift for politically endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on September 11.
He expanded his answer to NBC News, saying it was a commentary on entertainers using their influence to sway politics.
Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country, Swift wrote.
An alleged listing of the smashed Taylor Swift guitar has been listed on Ebay . The authenticity of the guitar has been heavily contested after a source close to her merch company confirmed to Variety
The auctioneer Craig Meier said it was a bit that played well in the room. But Meier did reveal that it was an obvious political statement that dug into Taylor Swift for politically endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on September 11
The listing currently is at $2,550 with 23 bids
Recently I was made aware that AI of "me" falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation.
It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth, she added.
An alleged listing of the smashed Taylor Swift guitar has been listed on Ebay. The authenticity of the guitar has been heavily contested after a source close to her merch company confirmed to Variety.
The listing currently is at $2,550 with 23 bids.
A photo description in the listing states Estes supposedly donated the guitar back to the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner and that the sale proceeds will be put the non-profits original goal of giving back to agricultural education.