A Texas man who came under fire for making a political statement after spending $4,000 at an auction to smash a Taylor Swift guitar said he meant it as a joke.
Gary Estes, 67, was caught on camera walking up to receive the instrument at the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner in Waxahachie on Saturday.
Once the guitar was handed to him, Estes got to work, gleefully smashing it with a hammer as the crowd erupted in laughter.
But his reasoning, he insists, was not malicious.
The dinner is an annual charity event that benefits agricultural education efforts for local youth, which Estes saw as an appropriate time to launch his prank.
Gary Estes, 67, gave a surprising reason why he spent $4,000 at an auction to smash a Taylor Swift guitar on Saturday.
Once the guitar was handed to him, Estes got to work, gleefully smashing it with a hammer as the crowd burst out laughing.
But your reasoning. He insists, it was not with bad intentions. The dinner is an annual charity event that benefits agricultural education efforts for local youth, which Estes (left) thought was an appropriate time to get his prank going.
he said NBC News: ‘It was just a joke at an auction that we had to raise money for the children, right? And that’s all it was.
‘There was nothing wrong with it, nothing wrong. It was just a joke they were making up on stage and we continued with a joke.’
Auctioneer Craig Meier said it was a piece that “looked good in the room.”
But Meier did reveal that it was an obvious political statement that took aim at Taylor Swift for politically endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on 9/11.
He expanded on his response to NBC News, saying it was a comment on artists using their influence to influence politics.
‘Like many of you, I watched tonight’s debate. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to research the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the issues that matter most to you. “As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about the proposed policies and plans for this country,” Swift wrote.
An alleged listing of the destroyed Taylor Swift guitar has appeared on Ebay. The authenticity of the guitar has been heavily questioned after a source close to his merchandising company confirmed to Variety.
Auctioneer Craig Meier said it was a piece that “looked good in the room.” But Meier did reveal that it was an obvious political statement that took aim at Taylor Swift for politically endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on 9/11.
The listing is currently at $2,550 with 23 offers.
‘I recently learned that an “I” AI falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy was posted on your site. It really evoked my fears about AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation.
‘It led 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,” he added.
An alleged listing of Taylor Swift’s vandalized guitar has appeared on ebay. The authenticity of the guitar has been strongly questioned after a source close to his merchandising company confirmed Variety.
The listing is currently at $2,550 with 23 bids.
A photo description in the listing indicates that Estes allegedly donated the guitar to the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner and that proceeds from the sale will go toward the nonprofit’s original goal of contributing to agricultural education. .
