The Miss Universe pageant is, by some accounts, about babes, and bods, and bikinis. It is being held in Mexico City this year, and word is that Miss U.S.A., Rachel Smith, was booed off the stage Monday night.

The boos started as soon as Smith stepped forward for the interview round. And it continued, along with chants of “Mexico,” as Smith launched into a history of her volunteer work in South Africa.

“I don’t think they are booing because of Rachel,” said Donald Trump, co-owner of the Miss Universe pageant. “They are booing because of the immigration policy.”

Thanks, Trump, now shut up. Or go talk to yourself about “Rosie.”

Either way, it not good form for a host audience to boo its guests.

[That’s Rachel being crowned by Tara Conner, who is evidently something else entirely.]

At NewsBusters.org, Scott Whitlock reports on the reaction at ABC:

(read on)

In a tease for the segment, GMA anchor Diane Sawyer even wondered aloud, “Was it fair?”

Reporter Dan Harris insisted that the rude heckling and yelling must be understood in a broader context. He explained, “By all accounts, the booing was actually not personal. It’s actually a sign of the increasingly intense relationship between the U.S. and Mexico at a time when the immigration debate is very hot.” Harris later elaborated, saying that “many Mexicans feel that U.S. uses its power to get its way in world politics and also in competitions such as this one…”

At no time did time during the segment did Harris feature anyone who disagreed with this so-called political statement from the crowd or even anyone who simply called them rude for booing a beauty pageant contestant.

Yeah, and they had a Green Party activist on to justify the reaction to Rachel.

This is bad and boorish from on the part of the Mexico City audience and on ABC News.

Scott has the transcript (linked above).