New York Times, CNN, others barred from press briefing

[abaris]

You said the right to comment. He can't prohibit that.  He can limit access to himself and his spokesmen.  

Which would be illigal here. The head of government can be picky choosy which journalist he's talking to in person, but his spokesmen haven't got that privilege. Even more so if it's an official press briefing. Spokesmen are accountable to the press and by extension the public.

I also ask myself what people defending this would have said if Obama had done the same. It's an exercise in futility, since I don't expect them to be honest enough to admit to their partisan outrage. But given what tantrums they've thrown over a fly farting inside the Obama administration, I have a pretty good idea what the reaction would have been.