Credit: 20th Century FoxFormer President Donald Trump played a minor role in a sequel to one of the most popular Christmas films of all time: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1994). But in a recently resurfaced interview, Columbus revealed that the iconic cameo didn’t happen organically.
After Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) gets on the wrong flight from Chicago, he ends up in New York City. Having seen an advertisement for The Plaza Hotel, he heads there first. Alone at Christmas again, McCallister struggles to find the lobby and asks Trump for directions.
Initial reaction to Trump’s role in Home Alone 2 was positive. But decades later, in the wake of the January 6 Capitol attacks, some fans called for his removal from the holiday classic. Even Culkin publicly urged The Walt Disney Company, which now owns 20th Century Fox and the streaming rights to the Home Alone series, to edit out Trump’s cameo.
Years before The Apprentice or his successful presidential run, Trump was one of New York City’s most prominent business giants. As owner of The Plaza Hotel, he had the final say when Columbus inquired about filming a scene there.
In a recently resurfaced 2020 interview with Insider, Columbus revealed that President Trump “bullied” his way into Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
“Like most locations in New York City, you just pay a fee and you are allowed to shoot in that location,” he explained. “We approached The Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, because we wanted to shoot in the lobby. We couldn’t rebuild The Plaza on a soundstage.”
Trump agreed, but not without a quid pro quo.
“Trump said OK,” Columbus recalled. “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.”
The director initially considered cutting Trump’s cameo from the film but changed his mind during an initial test screening.
“When we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: People cheered when Trump showed up on-screen,” Columbus said. “So I said to my editor, ‘Leave him in the movie. It’s a moment for the audience.’ But he did bully his way into the movie. “
Which of the Home Alone movies is the best: Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Home Alone 2 (1997), or Home Alone 4 (2002)? Share your favorite Christmas movie memories with Inside the Magic in the comments.