Critics of the president lashed out at NBC after the television network announced that it would broadcast a town hall event with President Donald Trump that would directly compete with a Biden event on ABC.

The head-to-head events were scheduled after the president refused to participate in a virtual debate proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Biden campaign scheduled their town hall event on ABC, and then NBC announced its plan to broadcast the Trump event.

"The decision by NBC News to run a Trump town hall directly opposite ABC's Biden town hall is indefensible," said political analyst Jeff Greenfield.

Katie Couric called it bad for Democracy.

"This will be good for Trump because people like to watch his unpredictability. This is a bad decision," she tweeted.

#BoycottNBC

Some expressed their anger by backing an effort to boycott NBC and they tweeted under that hashtag.

"THIS is UNCONSCIONABLE," tweeted liberal actress Debra Messing.

"#Trump pulled out of the scheduled townhall. #Biden KEPT HIS COMMITMENT & HIS WORD and moved forward. Now @nbc @nbcnews is going to REWARD 45 for breaking his commitment and be an accomplice to his attempt to screw over Biden?!" she raged.

"#BoycottNBC is the top trending topic and they earned it. NBC could've scheduled its town hall with Trump LITERALLY any other date/time as the town hall previously scheduled with Biden for Thursday on ABC. But they choose the same time," complained Muslim comedian Dean Obeidallah.

Actress Ellen Barkin also backed the boycott:

A Daily Beast report claimed that the president wanted to show that he could garner greater ratings in order to "humiliate" Biden.

The Trump town hall in Miami will be hosted Thursday by "Today" host Savannah Guthrie on NBC, opposite Biden's town hall on ABC. George Stephanopoulos will host Biden's event in Philadelphia.

Here's more about the town hall duel:

Donald Trump and Joe Biden Hold Simultaneous Town Halls www.youtube.com