A North Texas man is making national headlines after destroying one of Taylor Swift’s guitars with a hammer immediately after buying it at an auction.
A video now circulating on social media depicts the man taking a hammer from another person helping the auctioneer before grabbing the signed guitar and bashing it. The guitar was designed to reflect the global pop star’s record-breaking Eras Tour and had been signed by Swift herself.
‘I thought it was a joke’: Video shows man buying, destroying Taylor Swift guitar
WFAA spoke to JD Cobb, who captured the act on video.
“I see the guy grab a hammer off the stage,” Cobb told WFAA. “When I started video-ing it, I thought it was a joke.”
The incident played out in Waxahachie on Saturday night at the Ellis County WildGame Dinner. The nonprofit organization hosts event dinners to raise funds for “agricultural and rural education to the youth of Ellis County,” according to the site’s mission statement.
Event spokesperson Craig Meier confirmed to WFAA that the now-destroyed guitar had been signed by Swift and purchased by the man for around $4,000. Swift had never used the guitar.
‘Lighthearted statement’ that ‘crowd thought was hilarious’
Although the man who bought and destroyed that guitar did not immediately disclose his motivation, the Ellis County WildGame Dinner spokesperson implied it may be related to Swift’s recent endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.
“It has been surprising to me how big of a deal people are making it out to be. It wasn’t meant to be mean or malicious,” Meier told WFAA. “He was just making a lighthearted statement showing disapproval of people in the entertainment industry trying to influence politics.”
The spokesperson also reported the immediate reaction was one of humor and referred back to the organization’s mission. Proceeds for the dinner went to the student organization Future Farmers of America (FFA).
“It was just a funny thing that happened at our annual event. The crowd thought it was hilarious,” Meier said in a statement. “The important thing is that 100% of the money raised goes directly to local youth and agricultural education programs. At the end of the day, the kids win and will benefit from this.”
See social media reactions to man smashing Taylor Swift guitar
Once the video had hit social media, however, the Ellis County incident drew criticism. Some wonder if this is what former president Donald Trump had in mind when he said Swift would “pay a price” for her endorsement of Harris.
“It was just a question of time. She couldn’t possibly endorse Biden. You look at Biden, you couldn’t possibly endorse him,” Trump said in an interview with “Fox & Friends,” clarifying that he is “not a Taylor Swift fan.” “But she’s a very liberal person. She seems to always endorse a Democrat. And she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.”
“I hate Taylor Swift,” Trump later declared on Truth Social, his social media website, to his 7.71 million followers.
Texas billionaire and Trump supporter Elon Musk also responded to Swift’s endorsement of the Harris-Walz campaign, in a post that drew national attention.
“Fine Taylor…you win…I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life,” Musk wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in an apparent jab at Swift, who had signed off her endorsement with “childless cat lady.”
Fine Taylor … you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 11, 2024
Despite false rumors that Swift lost 17 million followers on Instagram and was banned on X after her endorsement, the popstar’s statement seemed to have an immediate effect on voter registration numbers. On the day of her endorsement, a custom URL shared by Swift on her Instagram story that expired after 24 hours had directed 405,999 visitors to vote.gov, according to a spokesperson from the General Services Administration (GSA) speaking to USA TODAY.
The day after her endorsement, Swift made another statement at MTV’s 2024 Video Music Awards.
“If you are over 18, please register to vote for something else that’s very important coming up,” the 30-time VMA winner said while accepting the “Video of the Year” award.
Since the video went viral, the incident has prompted mixed reactions on social media. Here’s what people had to say about the purchase and destruction of Swift’s guitar.
🚨 NEW: Man is going viral for attending an auction where he bought one of Taylor Swift’s guitars for $4,000 just to destroy it.
Legend.
pic.twitter.com/zBEIV47NrH— Jack (@jackunheard) September 30, 2024