President Trump ordered the FBI on Friday to reopen the background check into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, giving investigators time to to make sense of sexual assault allegations that have been lodged.

Mr. Trump insisted the new review be “limited in scope and completed in less than one week.”

He made the move in response to Senate Republicans, who after powering Judge Kavanaugh through the Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote earlier in the day said they would take extra steps to try to dispel the cloud that has arisen around the nominee.

Judge Kavanaugh said he has nothing to fear and has already been well-vetted.

“Throughout this process, I’ve been interviewed by the FBI, I’ve done a number of ‘background’ calls directly with the Senate, and yesterday, I answered questions under oath about every topic the senators and their counsel asked me. I’ve done everything they have requested and will continue to cooperate,” he said.

The review is intended to look into allegations by Christine Blasey Ford, who says Judge Kavanaugh groped her and attempted to disrobe her at a high school party in 1982.

Those allegations have been refuted in statements by the witnesses she says were at the party, but Ms. Blasey Ford’s powerful testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday left too many questions for many senators, and it became clear Judge Kavanaugh would struggle to be confirmed absent the FBI probe.

The decision amounted to a retreat for GOP leaders, who had planned to have Judge Kavanaugh installed on the high court early next week.

Instead, they now will wait to see whether the FBI turns up anything.

“The Senate Judiciary Committee will request that the administration instruct the FBI to conduct a supplemental FBI background investigation with respect to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice on the Supreme Court,” the Judiciary Committee said in a statement. “The supplemental FBI background investigation would be limited to current credible allegations against the nominee and must be completed no later than one week from today.”

Hours earlier the committee had voted to advance Judge Kavanaugh through the panel on a party-line vote — but only after Sen. Jeff Flake, a pivotal Republican, threw a wrench in the works.

Mr. Flake announced support for Judge Kavanaugh earlier in the morning but as committee debate dragged on Friday the Arizona Republican began to rethink his decision. He said he feared the country was being torn apart over the allegations against the judge, and he said the FBI may be able to provide some certainty.

“I do think we can have a short pause and make sure the FBI can investigate,” Mr. Flake said.

He acknowledged the renewed FBI probe may not change any minds, but said it would at least defuse the latest Democratic objection to Judge Kavanaugh.

Some lawmakers have questioned what role the FBI will be able to play. They predicted investigators will return with interview notes from Judge Kavanaugh and Ms. Blasey Ford that largely echo their competing testimony to the Senate Thursday.

Democrats, though, hope investigators confront Mark Judge, a high school friend of Judge Kavanaugh‘s, who Ms. Blasey Ford says was in the room when she was attacked.

Mr. Judge has submitted two statements to the Senate, including one sworn under a felony penalty if he lied, saying he knows nothing about such a party and saying Judge Kavanaugh would never have attacked someone.

Democrats had wanted to subpoena Mr. Judge but the GOP rejected that.

He has signaled, however, that he would cooperate with a confidential investigation that would protect his privacy.

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