(CNN) Donald Trump so desperately didn't want you to watch Saturday's White House correspondents' dinner, where a comedian and members of the media were expected to criticize him, that he held a competing rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. But if Trump thought by doing this he would distract us from watching the event or even lessen the jibes at his expense, he was wrong. Trump skipping the WHCD actually inspired an entire additional TV comedy special hosted by Samantha Bee. And Trump's absence emboldened journalists to call out the president's dangerous attacks on the First Amendment. Some believe Trump scheduled his rally to compete with the dinner for the politically strategic reason of showing a contrast between his supporters and the WHCD "elite." Maybe that's part of it, but I say a bigger reason is Trump hates being ridiculed and needs to feel loved. Comedian Hasan Minhaj, "Daily Show" correspondent and the WHCD's headliner, put it well: "He's in Pennsylvania because he can't take a joke."Dean Obeidallah: To distract the public from the White House Correspondent's Dinner, Trump hosted a competing rally in PennsylvaniaAnd while some may have watched his rally, many listened as comedians and journalists defended diversity and free press, writes Obeidallah
Perhaps this criticism would've been muted if Trump had attended, but instead he was at a rally in _ trying to undermine the media.