NBC’s decision to grant Donald Trump airtime after he refused to debate Democratic rival Joe Biden is another example of how the peacock network has consistently betrayed America to enable an unfit narcissist.

Trump has such a stranglehold over the nation’s attention, it’s hard to remember that back in 2004, he was a marginal figure outside of New York. Then “Survivor” creator Mark Burnett tapped him to host “The Apprentice,” the reality series that presented Trump as a canny, successful businessman.

That image had nothing to do with Trump’s broken reality and his multiple bankruptcies.

Producers burnished his image through 14 years of “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” making Trump appear as some sort of genius even as they covered for his erratic outbursts and temper tantrums. Several people associated with the show state he often voiced racist, sexist views and that he casually dropped the N-word. Because of Trump’s deal with Burnett, viewers will never see those raw outtakes.

NBC’s enabling goes beyond that.

As Trump struggled to get traction for his presidential campaign during 2016, he made key appearances on “The Tonight Show,” where host Jimmy Fallon infamously tousled Trump’s hair, and “Saturday Night Live,” where he was treated like a beloved uncle.

Now when Trump should be bearing the consequences of his decision to back out of a virtual debate sponsored by the Presidential Debate Commission, NBC swoops in to rescue Trump by giving him a town hall at the same time as Joe Biden’s town hall on ABC.

Trump is banking on getting higher ratings than Biden, and he’s right.

America loves a train wreck, and many will tune in out of curiosity to see what nutty theory he’s spouting this time or which group/state/ethnicity he’ll rail against. Host Savannah Guthrie will be unable to rein him in. If her peers are any example, she won’t even bother with follow-up questions.

Second, ABC is airing its town hall on ABC and ABC.com. NBC will air its Trump lovefest across the Comcast family of networks, including cable outlets MSNBC and Telemundo. ABC can’t compete with that blanket coverage.

NBC News head Cesar Conde told the Wall Street Journal, “We share in the frustration that our event will initially air alongside the first half of ABC’s broadcast with Vice President Biden. Our decision is motivated only by fairness, not business considerations.”

That’s some grade-A bullshit there.

That’s like saying, “I’m sorry I punched you in the face, but there was no way I could stop my arm from swinging in the direction of your nose.”

NBC could have literally scheduled the Trump hall for any other night. Any other night. It deliberately chose to have it compete against Biden, doing a disservice to voters.

Over 215,000 Americans are dead due to Trump’s murderous incompetence. Millions of jobs have been lost and may never return. Trump’s refusal to disavow white supremacists – a key part of his base – has encouraged the very worst elements of this country.

America cannot survive four more years of Trump.

That’s not NBC’s concern. All NBC cares about is the almighty dollar. Let the country burn.