President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is “anxious” to defend himself before senators next week, and said the FBI should not investigate sexual misconduct allegations the nominee is facing.

Trump could order the FBI to look into the allegations, which date back to a 1982 high school party, ahead of a much-anticipated Senate hearing Monday. But he signaled Tuesday he will not do so.

“I don’t think the FBI should be involved because they don’t want to be involved,” the president told reporters six days before the federal judge and his accuser are slated to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a public session.

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The president said he has still not spoken to the nominee since his accuser went public in a Sunday afternoon Washington Post article.

“I haven’t wanted to speak to Judge Kavanaugh … specifically because I thought it was not a good idea not to,” he said, expressing he is standing by the judge’s denials.

“I’m totally supportive,” Trump said. “I’m very supportive.”

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Saying he was “speaking for all of the Republicans,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office that “we want to give everybody a chance to say what they want to say.”

And he contended his nominee is ready to tell his side of the story.

“Judge Kavanaugh,” Trump said, “is anxious to do this.”