Rick Perry argues ‘Texas is not a battleground state’ — after Dallas Morning News poll shows Biden leading

President Donald Trump's former Energy Secretary declared that the state he once led as governor is not a battleground state in the 2020 presidential election -- despite a new poll showing the exact opposite.

Former Gov. Rick Perry said Trump would not be returning to Texas to campaign for president.

“He’s going to be in battleground states,” Perry said on a call arranged by the Trump campaign. “Texas is not a battleground state, it’s that simple.”

The call came the same day as a new poll was released that undermines Perry's claim.

"A poll released Sunday by The Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler shows Biden leading 48%-45% among likely voters. That’s within the margin of error, but it’s also a 5-point reversal from the last such poll in early September," the newspaper reported.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Joe Biden's running mate, will be stumping in Texas on Friday.

But Perry argued it was a "pipedream" that Democrats are competitive and argued Texas will remain "a very red state."

"Texas has not voted for a Democratic nominee since Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976, but polls this year have shown a tight race and this isn’t the first point at which Biden has led. Leaders in both parties called on their respective candidates to invest more in the state," the newspaper noted.