Rep. Mac Thornberry William (Mac) McClellan ThornberryOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds Democrats push to limit transfer of military-grade gear to police Trump payroll-tax deferral for federal workers sparks backlash MORE (Texas), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said Sunday that President Trump’s call with Ukraine's president, which is at the center of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry, was “inappropriate” but not “impeachable.”

ABC “This Week” host Martha Raddatz pressed Thornberry on the Republican strategy to combat the substance of the allegations against Trump as the impeachment inquiry enters the public phase this week with key witness testimony.

“I believe it's inappropriate for a president to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival. Now that leads to a question if there's a political rival with a family member who is involved in questionable activity, what do you do?” Thornberry said.

.@martharaddatz presses Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Mac Thornberry on the Republican strategy to manage the substance of allegations in the impeachment inquiry: "I believe it was inappropriate, I do not believe it was impeachable." https://t.co/kLSp2fgDiG pic.twitter.com/iA9seNehYW — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 10, 2019

ADVERTISEMENT

“Just let them alone. But set that aside. I believe it was inappropriate. I do not believe it was impeachable,” he added.

Thornberry also repeated the Republican attack heard throughout the inquiry, lamenting the process as a tainted “one-sided, partisan approach.”

The impeachment inquiry centers on a July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump asked Zelensky to look into former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE, a leading 2020 candidate, and Biden’s son. ADVERTISEMENT

House Democrats allege Trump withheld foreign aid in return for the investigation into the Bidens.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and most Republicans have continued to defend the president’s actions.