Story highlights On Saturday night, President Trump hosted a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Michael D'Antonio: The rally was a return to what Trump does best -- creating an entertaining spectacle that distracts from promises he hasn't fulfilled

Michael D'Antonio is the author of the book "Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success" (St. Martin's Press). The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) Having failed, at least so far, to deliver on his promises on healthcare, a border wall and tax cuts, President Donald Trump ended his first 100 days in office the way they began, with a deeply negative, divisive speech that served as a booster shot for his followers' rage. Included in the tirade, which he delivered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were attacks on the press, immigrants and progressives.

Once again, he flailed Democrats who "don't mind the illegals pouring in, the drugs pouring in. They don't mind." He also referred to the members of the media as "very dishonest people" and "enemies of the people," before returning to his diatribe against immigration and the need for a border wall. All of this was offered in a rambling style worthy of a reality TV star -- not the President of the United States.

Michael D'Antonio

Of course it was style and not substance that Trump traveled to deliver, and it was style that many came to hear. The Saturday spectacle in this swing state was politics practiced as a dark art, designed to entertain the crowd while distracting from the cruel fact that Trump hasn't been able to fulfill his campaign pledges.

As so often occurs with Trump, reality took a back seat as he celebrated his 100 day mark. Although empty seats could be seen from the podium where he stood, he announced that attendance "broke the all-time record." He praised the mythological substance called "clean coal" and falsely claimed that The New York Times had apologized for its coverage of the 2016 election.

The decidedly unpresidential tone of Trump's address was consistent with his motivation for going to Pennsylvania in the first place. The appearance coincided with the annual White House correspondent's dinner, which has been a tradition in Washington since the 1930s. The event, essentially a roast of the sitting President and others in the power elite, marks the one night of the year when the powerful agree to accept ridicule and even admit to their own flaws, all in the name of charity and amity.

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