David Axelrod is blasting President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE’s recent tweets as “an orgy of self-pity and rage.”

The former Obama adviser and CNN senior political commentator made the comment Wednesday night while speaking about Trump’s unannounced trip to visit the troops in Iraq.

“[The trip] clearly was planned before everything that happened,” Axelrod said on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

“Yesterday was kind of an orgy of self-pity and rage on Twitter from the White House," he added. "So, it changed the subject and put him in a much better position coming with all the turmoil in the Defense Department, It’s a valuable thing.”

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Axelrod was likely referring to the abrupt resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE last week over his disagreements with Trump’s foreign policy. Mattis announced his departure shortly after Trump said he planned to pull the U.S. out of Syria.

Still, Axelrod said: “It’s good that he went to see the troops … We should give him credit where credit is due.”

Trump, multiple days into a government shutdown over funding for his proposed border wall, tore into a number of his political opponents in a string of Christmas Eve tweets.

“I am all alone (poor me) in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed Border Security,” he tweeted. “At some point the Democrats not wanting to make a deal will cost our Country more money than the Border Wall we are all talking about. Crazy!”

On Christmas Day, Trump spent the morning making calls to overseas troops before answering questions from reporters. During those comments, he reiterated calls for the wall and tore into Democrats and former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeySteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Judge will not dismiss McCabe's case against DOJ Democrats fear Russia interference could spoil bid to retake Senate MORE.

“It's a disgrace what's happening in our country,” he said. “But other than that, I wish everybody a very Merry Christmas.”

The president and first lady later made an unannounced trip to Iraq and Germany to visit with U.S. troops, marking Trump’s first visit to a combat zone since taking office.