WASHINGTON — The Republican leading the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian election interference softened his characterization of a key investigative finding on Tuesday, just a day after Republicans announced that they had completed a draft of their report.

Representative K. Michael Conaway of Texas, who is leading the inquiry, had told reporters on Monday that the committee’s Republicans had extensively reviewed a 2017 assessment by American intelligence agencies and found only one area of disagreement: that the Russians had favored Donald J. Trump’s candidacy.

“We disagree with the narrative that they were trying to help Trump,” Mr. Conaway said.

Speaking again with reporters on Tuesday, after American intelligence officials, Democrats and some Republicans on the committee appeared to dispute that conclusion, Mr. Conaway said it was a matter of interpretation whether the Russians were trying to hurt Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump’s opponent, or explicitly help his candidacy.

“Everybody gets to make up their own mind whether they were trying to hurt Hillary or help Trump,” he said. “It’s kind of a glass half full, glass half empty.”