CNN’s Jim Acosta on Tuesday said President Donald Trump’s red-meat speech at the United Nations — in which he attacked immigration activists and promoted the right to own guns — was driven in part by fear of losing his base.

Acosta said that Trump’s speech can’t be seen outside the context of congressional investigations that are ramping up against the president over his call in which he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate prospective 2020 rival Joe Biden.

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“The delivery was low energy,” Acosta said of the speech. “The president seemed flat. You have to wonder if this Ukraine issue is just hanging over everything like a wet blanket for this president.”

Acosta then speculated that the president needs to rally his voter base more than ever and is doing everything he can to keep them energized.

“This was obviously delivered to the president’s domestic audience,” Acosta said. “He is trying to rally the base to keep them at home. Things are unraveling all around him with respect to the Ukraine investigation, which appears to be ramping up on Capitol Hill.”

Watch the video below.