'These things don't happen in a vacuum -- Trump's words matter': Don Lemon on thwarted gunman

Don Lemon weighed in on the newly arrested Coast Guard officer who planned a mass terrorist-style attack, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland this week.

"These things don't happen in a vacuum, the president's words matter," Lemon said on his CNN show Wednesday evening. The CNN host reminded viewers of the MAGAbomber who sought to harm CNN talent last year, and Lemon even acknowledged that he himself was said to be a target of this new (thwarted) attack by Christopher Paul Hasson, a self-described white nationalist living in Silver Spring, Maryland, who allegedly had a list of prominent politicians and media figures he potentially wanted to shoot.

"On that [hitlist] were Democratic politicians including Senator Chuck Schumer, Richard Blumenthal, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and journalists from CNN, MSNBC....including myself."

Lemon went on to note that "we are all safe, and we thank the Coast Guard and law enforcement for stopping this in time."

"But we need to talk about why," he continued.

"Once again, critics of the president are being targeted with violence....these things don't happen in a vacuum," he said.

Watch Lemon's segment below, followed by his panel on the same subject featuring Phil Mudd and David Gergen.