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“If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment,” the report said. “The evidence we obtained about the president’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred.”

Trump’s defenders focus on the roots of the Mueller inquiry.

Representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows, two of Mr. Trump’s staunchest allies in Congress, presented a two-pronged defense of the president during an appearance on CNN on Friday morning.

They repeated the bottom-line conclusions presented by Mr. Trump and Mr. Barr — no collusion and no obstruction — even though the report made clear that the Trump campaign expected to benefit from Russia’s election meddling.

And they attacked the origins of the special counsel investigation, echoing Mr. Trump’s comments on Twitter.

“What we have to understand is the predicate of this whole investigation,” Mr. Meadows said, suggesting that the officials who began and who oversaw the Russia investigation were anti-Trump. “To suggest that there was no bias at the predicate of this investigation is not accurate.”

Mr. Barr has said he will review the F.B.I.’s investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, including whether there was any “improper spying” by American intelligence agencies. During the early days of his presidency, Mr. Trump accused the Obama administration of spying on him.

— Katie Benner