Timeline: Pelosi and McCarthy, briefly in accord on the Jan. 6 riot, have diverged in statements since

WASHINGTON — In the hours after the attack on the Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy seemed united as they spoke on the House floor.

The Democratic and Republican lawmakers vowed to defy the insurrectionist mob's attempt to block certification of the presidential election results. The Californians hinted that the trauma of the day could help bridge the partisan divide in Congress. They even agreed that President Donald Trump — through actions or inaction — bore significant responsibility for the Capitol riot.

But over the last year, a chasm has grown between the two leaders over how to move forward from the attack and how to hold those responsible accountable. It is a divide that reflects a larger split in America, as more people inside and outside of Washington seek to write and rewrite the history of last Jan. 6.

Through a second impeachment and the House select committee investigation, Pelosi has focused on Trump, his allies and those who attempted to overturn the election results. McCarthy, meanwhile, has sought to block the Democratic-led investigations and increasingly backed away from his early criticism of the former president, looking instead to shift the blame and connect the attack to broader civil unrest in the country.

As the congressional investigation searches for answers about why the Jan. 6 attack happened, most Republican lawmakers dismiss it as a partisan effort to reopen political wounds and smear their party.

Underlying it all is the