For many fans, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a cozy holiday classic. But for its director, Chris Columbus, one brief scene in the film still haunts him—Donald Trump’s seven-second cameo.

Columbus, who directed the first two Home Alone films, says he now sees Trump’s appearance in the movie as a “curse,” and admits he’s long wanted to remove it. But he’s also worried doing so could lead to extreme backlash.

“I can’t cut it,” Columbus told the San Francisco Chronicle. “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.”

He even joked that he’d have to “go back to Italy,” referencing his heritage and mocking how politically heated things can get when Trump is involved.

How Trump Got Into the Movie

The cameo, where Kevin asks Trump for directions inside New York’s iconic Plaza Hotel, wasn’t originally part of the plan. Columbus explained that back in 1992, when they wanted to film in the hotel lobby (which Trump owned at the time), there was a catch.

“We paid the fee to shoot there,” Columbus said, “but Trump insisted, ‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie.’”

Feeling pressured, the team reluctantly agreed.

The Crowd Cheered… at First

Surprisingly, when the film was first screened, audiences cheered when Trump appeared. “So I said to my editor, ‘Leave him in the movie. It’s a moment for the audience,’” Columbus recalled. But with time and political controversy, that “moment” hasn’t aged well.

Trump Responds: “I Made That Movie Better”

Trump wasn’t thrilled with Columbus’s comments. In a 2023 post on Truth Social, he accused the director of trying to stay relevant.

“That cameo helped make the movie a success,” Trump wrote. “If they felt bullied or didn’t want me, why did they keep me in for over 30 years?”

“Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity.”

TV Edits Have Already Cut Him Out

Interestingly, Trump’s cameo was already quietly cut from a Canadian TV airing of the movie back in 2019. CBC explained the edit by saying the scene simply “wasn’t integral to the plot.”

Bottom Line

What started as a brief cameo in a family film has turned into a long-running pop culture controversy. While Columbus may wish he could erase that moment, he knows that doing so could stir up far more than just a simple edit. As he put it—removing Trump could come with a heavy cost.