Film director Chris Columbus finds himself in a difficult position regarding his beloved 1992 movie, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” The film famously features a cameo by then-real estate mogul Donald Trump, who insisted on appearing in the movie as a condition for allowing the production to film at his Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Both Columbus and the film’s star, Macaulay Culkin, have expressed regret over Trump’s cameo, with Culkin even supporting the idea of digitally removing the scene from the film. However, Columbus recently told the San Francisco Chronicle that as much as he wishes the scene could be removed, he feels unable to do so without facing backlash.
“I can’t cut it,” Columbus lamented. “If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country. I’ll be considered sort of not fit to live in the United States, so I’ll have to go back to Italy or something.”
In 2019, the Canadian Broadcast Company made the controversial decision to edit out Trump’s cameo from their airing of the film, sparking outrage from Trump supporters. Despite this, Trump himself has spoken fondly of his appearance in the movie, claiming that the cameo helped boost the film’s success.
Responding to claims from Columbus that he bullied his way into the film, Trump stated on his TruthSocial platform in 2023, “I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time.”
On the other hand, Culkin has made it clear that he prefers the first “Home Alone” film over its sequel, citing the absence of Trump as one of the reasons. In a Reddit post from 2018, Culkin expressed his fondness for the original film, stating, “we didn’t know what we were walking into and it was a lot less flying all over the place; it was all in Chicago. Also it had 100% less Trump.”
Despite the controversy surrounding Trump’s cameo in “Home Alone 2,” the film remains a holiday classic beloved by many. The debate over whether or not to remove Trump’s scene continues to be a topic of discussion among fans and filmmakers alike.
