Biden insists he’s ‘in better physical shape’ than Trump as he forgets Herbert Hoover’s name in BET interview

President Biden insisted that he’s “in better physical shape” than former President Donald Trump while dismissing calls from fellow Democrats to step aside due to concerns about his mental fitness — despite forgetting the name “Herbert Hoover” in the same interview with BET.

“Look, I’m only three years older than Trump, okay? And I think I’m in a little better physical shape than he is,” Biden said, chuckling as he referred to the Republican presidential nominee’s weight.

“It’s not unreasonable for people to say, ‘Wait a minute, you’re 81 years old,’” Biden told Ed Gordon of BET News in the interview, which was taped Tuesday in Las Vegas and released Wednesday night.

“So I think it’s a legitimate thing for the race and as long as I can demonstrate it is not affecting my ability to compete and my ability to get things done, my ability to literally lead the world.”

Gordon pressed Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, on whether he would reassess whether he remains fit for office in the future.

“So you are willing from year to year to look at your health, your capabilities, and move from that place?” the journalist asked.

“Well as a practical matter, yes,” Biden said. “But there’s not reason to believe that’s not [sic] going to happen.”

In a moment likely to deepen Democratic concern about Biden’s mental acuity, he grasped for the name of Hoover, the 31st president who presided over the start of the Great Depression, while slamming Trump’s record on job creation, which was tanked by the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden has called his rival “Donald ‘Herbert Hoover’ Trump” in campaign speeches — but grasped unsuccessfully for the name.

“You know, there’s only two presidents in American history who have come to office and left with fewer jobs,” Biden said.

“And the other was a guy we all know very well — um, so uh, I, I call — anyway. Trump is one of them.”

Biden is facing public calls from 22 congressional Democrats to step aside following his disastrous June 27 debate performance, but is refusing to do so.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) recently met with Biden to convey the concerns of their colleagues, but the White House on Wednesday night snapped back at reporting they shared unfavorable guidance.

“The President told both leaders he is the nominee of the party, he plans to win, and looks forward to working with both of them to pass his 100 days agenda to help working families,” a Biden spokesman said.

Biden taped the BET interview a day before he tested positive for COVID-19, which prompted him to cut short his trip to swing-state Nevada.