We learned Tuesday evening that the United States gave $400 million to Iran on the same day that four American prisoners were released from Iranian prison.

Was it a ransom payment? Some U.S. officials say no, but some Iranian officials say yes. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest spent much of his daily press briefing defending the payment, saying, “Let me be clear: The United States does not pay ransom.” He also tried to pivot the conversation toward the disunity in the Republican Party over presidential nominee Donald Trump.