Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw compared outgoing 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 to "the captain of a sinking ship" and urged all Americans regardless of "party label" to confront President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE, whom he compared to Captain Queeg.

Queeg is the fictional unstable skipper of the U.S.S. Caine in Herman Wouk's classic World War II novel, "The Caine Mutiny," released in 1951.

"Pres trump getting rid of general mattis is like the captain of a sinking ship firing the coast guard. this is a time for all hands to be on deck - whatever their party label - and confront captain queeg, er, president trump," Brokaw wrote in a tweet.

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pres trump getting rid of general mattis is like the captain of a sinking ship firing the coast guard.



this is a time for all hands to be on deck - whatever their party label - and confront captain queeg, er, president trump — Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) December 20, 2018