Attorney General William P. Barr said he is not blocking special counsel Robert Mueller from testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, according to a report Thursday.

“It’s Bob’s call whether he wants to testify,” Mr. Barr told the Wall Street Journal on his way to El Salvador, where he praised international efforts against MS-13 street gang.

“I’m trying to break away from Washington and do the real work of the attorney general,” he continued.

Mr. Barr’s comments came just days after President Trump said the decision about whether Mr. Mueller should testify was up to “our very great attorney general.”

Mr. Trump tweeted earlier this month that he did not believe the special counsel should appear before Congress.

“There was no crime,” he tweeted. “Bob Mueller should not testify. No reds for the Dems!”

Mr. Barr has consistently said he has no objection to Mueller testifying.

House Democrats are eager to hear from Mr. Mueller, who completed his nearly two-year investigation in March. Rep Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, last month sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting Mr. Mueller testify no later than May 23.

Democrats have threatened to hold Mr. Barr in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t comply with their subpoena for the release of a complete, unreacted version of Mr. Mueller’s 448-page report along with the underlying evidence.