Staind’s Aaron Lewis spoke out about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at his March 17 solo show in Portsmouth, Ohio. The vocalist and guitarist, who is notable for being outspoken with his right-wing beliefs in recent years, he ranted against the media and about COVID-19 vaccines.

In his speech, Lewis discussed a conspiracy theory that Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is part of his plan to destroy the “Deep State” that is located there.

“You know, as fucked up as it sounds, maybe we should listen to what Vladimir Putin is saying,” he said. “If you haven’t seen Vladimir Putin actually say that he’s fighting the ‘Deep State’ right now, which is the same people we’re fighting, which is the same people everywhere on the face of this earth that people are fighting for freedom.”

Throughout his performance, he warned against acting like “sheep,” and to continue questioning the government and the media. He continued to urge fans to never listen to the higher-up executives of the country, or to listen to any political leader – no matter the party. Lewis also encouraged his fans to believe in “our peers, people.”

“We need to start voting for people that aren’t lifetime politicians because those are the most lecherous, snake-in-the-grass pieces of shit that you can ever possibly put into power. The next governor needs to be you. The next senator needs to be you. We need to pick from our peers, people — people that have good ideas that we can stand behind.”

This is not Lewis’s first political outburst. In November, he claimed to have been treated of COVID-19 after taking the unproven treatment of anti-parasitic medication ivermectin. During a performance, he advocated for the drug and condemned healthcare workers for “locking up all the ivermectin.”