The director of Home Alone 2 has revealed why Donald Trump’s controversial cameo in the beloved film will never be cut.
Filmmaker Chris Columbus – who Trump claims ‘begged’ him to appear in the film – revealed that even if he would like to cut the current US President’s small role in the 1992 sequel film, he would be unable to.
The 66-year-old director recently told the San Francisco Chronicle that he would like to eliminate Trump’s seven-second appearance as he has explained that it has ‘become this curse. It’s become an albatross for me. I just wish it was gone.’
He then reportedly took a sarcastic tone as he explained: ‘I can’t cut it. 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.’
The famous scene saw Kevin McCallister – played by Macaulay Culkin – all alone without his family in New York City as he asked Trump to point him in the direction of the Plaza Hotel which Trump had owned at the time.
The director of 1992 classic Home Alone 2 has revealed why Donald Trump ‘s controversial cameo in the beloved film will never be cut
In it McAllister asks Trump, ‘where the lobby is’ and he replies, ‘Down the hall and to the left.’
Director Columbus and Trump have had quite a few disagreements over the years including the filmmaker saying the current president ‘bullied’ his way into the on-screen appearance.
Back in December 2020, Columbus said in an interview that Trump had made his cameo part of the deal in order for production to use the Plaza Hotel.
He explained to Business Insider at the time that they needed to shoot at the Plaza because it was something that couldn’t be reconstructed on a soundstage.
He said that like most locations in New York, ‘you just pay a fee and you are allowed to shot in that location.’
But when production approached the Plaza the deal came with an extra ask.
‘Trump said OK. We paid the fee, but he also said, “The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie.” So we agreed to put him in the movie, and when we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: People cheered when Trump showed up on-screen.”‘
‘So I said to my editor, “Leave him in the movie. It’s a moment for the audience,”‘ Columbus continued. ‘But he did bully his way into the movie.’
Filmmaker Chris Columbus (pictured in February 2010) revealed that even if he would like to cut the current US President’s small role in the 1992 sequel film, he would be unable to.
The 66-year-old director recently told the San Francisco Chronicle that he would like to eliminate Trump’s (pictured on Tuesday) seven-second appearance as he has explained that it has ‘become this curse. It’s become an albatross for me. I just wish it was gone. I can’t cut it. If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country’
The famous scene saw Kevin McCallister – played by Macaulay Culkin (pictured) – all alone without his family in New York City as he asked Trump to point him in the direction of the Plaza Hotel which Trump had owned at the time
However Trump retorted in years later in December 2023 on Truth Social as he explained that it was the other way around.
’30 years ago (how time flies!), Director Chris Columbus, and others, were begging me to make a cameo appearance in Home Alone 2,’ the current president said. ‘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,’ Trump noted. ‘People call me whenever it is aired.’
‘Now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth,’ Trump continued.
The US president also took umbrage with Columbus commenting that he ‘bullied’ his way into the film.
Trump said: ”That cameo helped make the movie a success, but if they felt bullied, or didn’t want me, why did they put me in, and keep me there, for over 30 years?’
‘Because I was, and still am, great for the movie, that’s why!’ he answered.
‘Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself!’ Trump said.
Director Columbus (pictured in December 2024) and Trump have had quite a few disagreements over the years including the filmmaker saying in December 2020 that the current president ‘bullied’ his way into the on-screen appearance
However Trump retorted in years later in December 2023 on Truth Social as he explained that it was the other way around
There have been numerous pushes for Trump to be cut from the film from fans with the lead star Culkin (pictured in January) even showing his support for the omission
Back in January 2021 a fan used some crude editing skills on Twitter (now X) to remove both Trump’s likeness and voice from the cameo, so Culkin’s Kevin seemingly just asks where the lobby is to no one at all. The original tweet, from Twitter user @maxschramp, went viral at the time with Culkin chiming in, ‘Bravo’
Another fan asked for a, ‘petition to digitally replace trump in ‘home alone 2’ with 40-year-old macaulay culkin,’ which Culkin replied, ‘Sold’
There have been numerous pushes for Trump to be cut from the film from fans with the lead star Culkin even showing his support for the omission.
Back in January 2021 a fan used some crude editing skills on Twitter (now X) to remove both Trump’s likeness and voice from the cameo, so Culkin’s Kevin seemingly just asks where the lobby is to no one at all.
The original tweet, from Twitter user @maxschramp, went viral at the time with Culkin chiming in, ‘Bravo.’
Another fan asked for a, ‘petition to digitally replace trump in ‘home alone 2’ with 40-year-old macaulay culkin,’ which Culkin replied, ‘Sold.’
