Upon entering Spicer’s office for what one person briefed on the gathering described as “an emergency meeting,” staffers were told to dump their phones on a table for a “phone check," to prove they had nothing to hide.

Spicer, who consulted with White House counsel Don McGahn before calling the meeting, was accompanied by White House lawyers in the room, according to multiple sources.

There, he explicitly warned staffers that using texting apps like Confide — an encrypted and screenshot-protected messaging app that automatically deletes texts after they are sent — and Signal, another encrypted messaging system, was a violation of the Presidential Records Act, according to multiple sources in the room.

On Friday, the administration for the first time included in its guidance a planned press gaggle that was supposed to be on camera. That was changed to off camera, with the White House not informing reporters that they would have to be put on a list. News organizations were put on a list of “interested parties” but then not allowed in. The New York Times, CNN, BuzzFeed News, Politico and the LA Times were not allowed in. Instead, a group that included handpicked reporters from conservative outlets were invited to chat with Spicer, including Breitbart, One America News Network and The Washington Times. Some national news outlets, like ABC, were also allowed to attend the briefing.

The administration blocked a number of outlets from Spicer's gaggle Friday afternoon, including The Hill, the New York Times, CNN, Politico, the BBC, BuzzFeed and others. (snip)

Spicer did allow several right-leaning outlets to attend the gaggle, including Breitbart, the Washington Times and One America News Network.

Also attending were Fox News, CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, Bloomberg and Reuters, among others.

“You know, one of the things we say in the South [is] ‘If a Girl Scout egged your house, would you buy cookies from her?’ I think that this is a pretty similar scenario,” Sanders added. “There’s no reason for him to go in and sit and pretend like this is going to be just another Saturday night.”

Inside the restaurant, on the first level, an uncommon guest is having a cocktail. It's Nigel Farage, the Brexit leader and Trump ally, who is sitting at a table with three other people. Nigel is on what looks like a serious phone call. Our party is seated at our table upstairs, but it is rather clear that the entire staff is on edge. (snip)

Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, and his wife walk up the stairs, past our table and are seated on the other side of the restaurant from the Trump table preparations. They are alone and dressed for a date night. (snip)

(...) The young crew are the first in line. Also waiting in line as the President arrives is Nigel Farage.

Trump stops momentarily to speak with Farage and points upstairs in the steakhouse, seemingly inviting him to dinner. (snip)

He is joined by Farage, Governor Rick Scott of Florida, and his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner. My party sits just a table away, outside the president's security barrier. Trump's table is surrounded by agents facing outward, creating a barrier between the president and other diners.