Director Chris Columbus is getting real about something that’s been bothering him for years — Donald Trump’s surprise pop-up in the Christmas classic, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
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In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Columbus didn’t hold back when reflecting on Trump’s cameo. “It’s an albatross for me,” he admitted. “I wish it was gone.” That quick walk-and-point scene inside the Plaza Hotel has stuck with fans, but for Columbus, it’s more of a burden than a badge.
If you’ve ever wondered how Trump even ended up in the movie, Columbus has explained it before. According to what he told Business Insider in 2020, Trump pretty much made it a requirement: let them shoot inside the Plaza Hotel — which he owned at the time — only if he got a spot in the movie. So yeah, it wasn’t just a casual walk-on; it came with conditions.
He also told the Chronicle he “can’t cut” the clip out of the movie today. Not because of technical limits, but because of the heat it might bring. “If I did, I’d probably be sent out of the country,” he said, half-joking. “I’d be considered sort of not fit to live in the United States.”
It’s not the first time this cameo has caused a stir either. Back in 2019, a version of the movie aired in Canada without the Trump scene, and MAGA Twitter lost its mind. Columbus cleared up that he had nothing to do with it, and that was likely just a broadcast edit due to time.
The Backstory Behind Trump’s Cameo in *Home Alone 2*
Let’s rewind to 1992 real quick. Home Alone 2 was filming in New York City, and the team wanted to shoot inside the iconic Plaza Hotel. Only thing is, the hotel had a new flashy owner — Donald J. Trump.
Chris Columbus broke it down in a previous interview with Business Insider during the 30-year anniversary of the film. He said Trump agreed to let them use the space, but only under one condition: “He had to be in the movie.”
According to Columbus, the team thought it was just a casual ask at first. But Trump insisted. So they gave him a quick one-liner moment — directing Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) down a hallway in the hotel. Simple. But ever since Trump’s presidency, that five-second cameo became way more controversial.
“I wish it was gone,” Columbus said again this week, reinforcing that the decision didn’t age well.
Hollywood’s Ongoing Debate With Canceling Cameos
Columbus isn’t alone. Over the last few years, more directors and studios have been facing pressure to edit out or distance themselves from people who’ve become problematic. Whether it’s Kevin Spacey in movies or musicians facing backlash, the “cancel the cameo” convo keeps coming up.
But in this case, Columbus is keeping it real. He knows the Trump scene is still iconic to some — but says he personally sees it as baggage. “It’s one of those things where people don’t forget,” he said.
It also taps into a bigger conversation around whether movies should be “edited for the culture” or left untouched as historical moments. Columbus ain’t tryna start a war — just being honest about his regrets.
