Washington (CNN) Donald Trump's campaign remarks about Mexican immigrants represent a play to the worst parts of society, Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday.

Speaking at a reception marking Hispanic Heritage Month, Biden laid into the businessman turned GOP front-runner -- naming him twice -- as reverting to "xenophobia" in a play for votes.

"There's one guy absolutely denigrating an entire group of people, appealing to the baser side of human nature, working on this notion of xenophobia in a way that hasn't occurred in a long time," Biden said at the backyard reception, held around the swimming pool at his Washington residence.

Later in his speech, Biden named Trump as the purveyor of a "sick message" about immigrants coming to the United States. He said that political tack wouldn't ultimately resonate with most of the country.

"Folks, the American people are with us. I know it doesn't feel that way, but I'm telling you, I'm telling you the American people agree with us," he said.

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