Monday saw the release of Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at then-President George W. Bush in the middle of a conference. Today Jimmy Carter commented with a declaration that the assault was "based on race." He elaborated by claiming that there is an "inherent feeling" among Muslims, especially in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, that someone outside their own culture is "not qualified to lead this great country," and that "an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity" toward Bush in general is generated by such racist stances. Suggestions that al-Zeidi might merely have been frustrated by and responding, albeit inappropriately, to Bush's policies were dismissed by Carter, who pointed out that "if he'd wanted to express that, he could have objected vocally. Maybe 'you are dishonest!' or something like that."

Afterward, Carter also mentioned that Kayne West's interruption of the MTV Music Awards was based on a "dastardly" belief that white people can't sing.