Hoyt Deau Hutchinson, the Alabama man accused of slashing a Baby Trump balloon in Tuscaloosa last weekend, defended his actions during a Monday morning call to the “Rick & Bubba Show.”

Hutchinson is charged with felony first degree criminal mischief in relation to the slashing of the Trump balloon that was in town for the Alabama/LSU game and a presidential appearance by Donald Trump.

In his call to the syndicated program, Hutchinson, 32, said he drove past the Baby Trump balloon on Saturday and yelled at the protesters.

“I got so fired up when I rolled by the balloon and I rolled down the window and I said something to them and I figured they saw me. I figured only way I was going to get close enough to that balloon was to blend in. (I) went and bought me an Alabama shirt and walked up like I was walking to the game and like I was going to take a picture with (the Trump balloon).

“I was so fired up. I was shaking I was so mad,” he said.

When host Rick Burgess asked what his motivation for slashing the balloon, Hutchinson replied:

“I’m not young but I’m not old. I’m sort of middle aged. I feel like a lot of people my age don’t keep up with the news and politics the way they should. I watch the news every night. I watch Fox News every night. Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity are my favorite two anchors.

"I see this stuff going on out west and up north and all other places. I get so mad about people not taking a stand. The left wants to use religion against you like you shouldn’t act like this and stuff but I’ll tell you this - the Devil knows the Bible as good as we do.”

“This was your turning of the temple tables?” Burgess asked in reference to the Biblical story of Jesus turning over the tables of the money changers in the temple.

“Yes,” Hutchinson replied. “It comes a point when you gotta take a stand. We don’t have two parties anymore. We have good vs. evil. When you got one party that says it’s OK to kill babies and by the way, this is the first time I’m ever seen a liberal get mad about chopping up a baby.”

Later in the interview, Hutchinson said the protesters were chanting “lock him up,” in reference to the president.

“I walked by and said “Lock this up,” he replied.

Hutchinson said he used a material cutter with a sharp razor to slice the 20-foot tall balloon. He said he yelled “Trump 2020” as he was arrested.

He was released on $2,500 bond.

Phone Call with The Man Who Took Down Baby Trump The Inflatable "Baby Trump" Balloon Did Not Last Long in Tuscaloosa. The man that took it down just called our show..... Posted by Rick and Bubba on Monday, November 11, 2019

Fundraising efforts

The Trump balloon was brought to the game as the result of fundraising efforts that netted almost $8,000.

After the balloon was popped, a GoFundMe page was established by Hutchinson. As of Monday morning, the page has collected just under $40,000 from 1,700 donors. Originally, Hutchinson wrote that all proceeds not needed for legal fees would be donated to the Trump 2020 campaign.

In a Monday update, however, he wrote that the page had been reported to GoFundMe and donations will likely be refunded.

“Apologize for all the inconvenience folks. Thanks for all the kind words, prayers and financial support. Reach out to Hoyt on Facebook. We love hearing from fellow patriots. #Trump2020,” he wrote.

In a statement to AL.com, however, GoFundMe confirmed the campaign is active.

“The campaign is active and Mr. Hutchinson is permitted to withdraw the funds," the fundraising website said.

The funds are being held by the payment processor until banking information is added, GoFundMe said.

GoFundMe’s terms of service prohibit fundraising campaigns “to be for the legal defense of alleged crimes associated with hate, violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination, terrorism, or intolerance of any kind relating to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender or gender identity, serious disabilities or diseases, or financial crimes or crimes of deception.”