During the evening gown competition, Miss USA Rachel Smith slipped and fell down before quickly getting back onto her feet. She maintained composure as she finished her walk, and advanced to the top 5 despite her fall. Smith was again booed by the Mexican audience after she was announced as part of the top five while the local representative from Mexico was not. This continued as Smith answered her final question, finishing by thanking the crowd in Spanish, which finally made the audience cheer. The booing and jeering during the pageant was a repeat of a similar incident at Miss Universe 1993, also held in Mexico City, when Miss USA Kenya Moore was loudly booed. The audience reaction was attributed to political issues between the two nations. In August 2007, Mexican tourism officials apologized for the audience's behavior and said that Smith is welcome back in Mexico any time.
