I have admired Joe Biden since 1988. I did not think the plagiarism charge should have caused him to abort his presidential aspirations back then. I was ecstatic when the seasoned, scrappy senator from Scranton joined — and added heft to — Barack Obama’s run for the White House.

And lastly, I proudly voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020.

As president, Biden compiled an enviable track record.

His list of accomplishments is well-documented: infrastructure, a bold climate initiative, a Herculean effort to lift millions of Americans’ student loan debts, greatly reducing the cost of life-saving insulin, protecting millions from the scourge of COVID-19, getting relief checks in the hands of millions of struggling Americans during the pandemic, signing several bipartisan bills into law and much more. Biden could end his presidency with his head held high, knowing that he served his country honorably. But the time to end his occupancy in the White House may soon come upon him.

The Book of Ecclesiastes should guide his next steps: “For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Knowing when to exit will determine how history will record the character of this remarkable public servant.

I assume that the Democratic Party elites, the president’s inner circle and, most assuredly, his family will advise him to continue his campaign. But these enablers are deluding themselves and misleading the voters. The president’s debate performance was not just an isolated incident. The CNN-sponsored event unearthed — in a dramatic fashion — what many of us have believed for some time.

Our president is experiencing diminished capacity. It has been reported that he got sleepy during the debate. The issue is not whether the president is beginning to exhibit signs of cognitive decline, the issue is how could the enlightened members of our party put him through four more years of a grueling schedule that will begin at age 82 and end at age 86?

If, however, President Biden decides to stay in the race, I will support him because Donald Trump’s mental stability and poor judgment are also being seriously discussed. The former president has already shown us that he is one of the most ruthless, vindictive, egomaniacal, dishonest and bigoted persons on the national stage today.

He is a walking nightmare. Trump fuels hatred and pits Americans against each other.

A skilled demagogue, he has risen to power — like Adolph Hitler — stirring up the worst impulses and fears in many of his mindless followers.

This commentary should in no way be construed to suggest that American voters will be forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. There is no comparison: Joe Biden is a decent human being; Donald Trump is evil incarnate.

So where do we go from here?

If President Biden voluntarily steps aside, the Democratic Party could enjoy an old-fashioned brokered convention. I am confident that by reopening the nominating process, a younger, more promising candidate will emerge.

If the Democratic Party is wise enough and nimble enough, a vetted politician with the right credentials could capture the imagination of the country in a short span of time and lead Democrats up and down the ticket to victory in November.

The new standard bearer could then serve as a granite wall against the pernicious designs of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, an insidious plot to turn the federal bureaucracy into a vehicle for autocratic (fascist) rule, something that would, no doubt, cause the Founding Fathers to turn over in their graves.

President Biden, lead us to victory by empowering the next generation to step up and save our constitutional democracy. A grateful nation will honor your self-sacrifice as a true servant leader.

The writer is president-emeritus of the National Bankers Association and a former assistant professor of political science at Morgan State University.