Staind frontman Aaron Lewis remains as politically outspoken as ever in 2026. The multi-platinum musician has frequently taken various shots at left-wing political figures and policies in both song and commentary across the past decade. He’s also remained an avid Trump supporter, been critical of COVID-19 vaccinations, and voiced his support for a number of right-wing talking points.
In 2024 he lamented the state of society, saying of his conservative political views at the time:
“I can’t say that I was always a conservative. I mean, when you’re younger, it’s more about… There’s an old saying that when you’re young, if you’re not a liberal, you don’t have a heart. And then when you’re older, if you’re still a liberal, you don’t have a brain. Or something to that effect. But what happened was is that I got older and responsibilities came into play and having a family and having a home that I had to take care of.
And I think another key thing was I’m gonna be 52 years old. I’ve been around for the entire metamorphosis of this country. I’ve seen it all happen. I’ve watched [smartphones] have done to our society. I’ve watched what computers have done to our society. I’ve seen it all happen. And I never even had a MySpace [account]. Truth Social is the first actual official my own page, my own account that I’ve ever had. So, I guess, sitting back and not being so engulfed in all of the social media phenomenon, I guess I didn’t get brainwashed as badly.”
“I don’t know. It’s so clear to me. I don’t understand how so many people can be so brainwashed when it is so crystal clear. It’s never been so crystal clear. The veil has never been pulled away to the extent that it is right now. And it blows my mind that people are so brainwashed that they call it… Everything’s flip flopped. Truth, lies and propaganda, and the propaganda is hailed as truth. The narrative is hailed as truth, and it’s societal insanity. We have a serious mental health issue in this country.”
As with any strong political belief in this increasingly hostile social climate, expressing his opinions haven’t been without consequence. Last August he told Tucker Carlson that he had been blacklisted from radio for his outspoken politics, stating, “They won’t play me. They don’t like my thoughts on things… It’s nice to not have to bow down to the powers that be.”
Lewis‘ spring/summer solo touring with his country backing band The Stateliners continues his political bent, including stops on the divisive MAGA-aligned ‘Rock The Country‘ festival — one date of which will also feature a set from Staind. Expectedly, Lewis‘ political stances have also bled into the new merch offerings for that tour, as he highlighted on his social media today, May 14th.
He dedicated the below post to his new 2026 tour shirt, which displays the black bar version of the U.S. flag commonly adopted by military and patriotic types. It’s paired with phrase ‘Not Brainwashed’ on the back. His Aaron Lewis And The Stateliners logo appears on the front of the shirt with the phrase, ‘American as it gets’.
You can purchase the shirt now via aaronlewismerchandise.com, where you can also find other similarly patriotic branded items for his 2026 tour.
