More than three decades after Home Alone 2: Lost in New York became a holiday classic, the film’s director, Chris Columbus, is now publicly lamenting what many fans consider a memorable moment: the brief cameo appearance by Donald J. Trump.
In a recent interview, Columbus referred to Trump’s seven-second appearance as his personal “albatross,” saying he now wishes it had been removed entirely from the film. “I just wish it was gone,” Columbus said, claiming that the inclusion of Trump—who at the time owned the Plaza Hotel where the scene was filmed—has become a source of regret.
According to Columbus, Trump allowed the film crew to shoot in the iconic Manhattan hotel on the condition that he appear in the movie. While Columbus initially considered cutting the scene in post-production, audience test screenings responded positively to Trump’s cameo, prompting the director to leave it in.
The moment in question is simple: young Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, asks Trump for directions in the hotel lobby. Trump gestures and delivers a quick line—an interaction that has since become one of the most talked-about cameos in film history, especially after Trump’s rise to political power.
But what was once a quirky Easter egg has now become a political lightning rod for Hollywood insiders. Columbus, like many in the entertainment industry, has grown increasingly vocal in his disdain for Trump since his presidency, and appears to view the cameo as a blemish on his career.
Fans of the film and supporters of Trump, however, see it differently. Many view the cameo as a time capsule from the pre-politics era of Trump’s celebrity, when he was a symbol of American business success and New York opulence. The scene remains wildly popular, particularly during the holiday season, when Home Alone 2 airs on television and streaming platforms nationwide.
Social media users were quick to push back against Columbus’s comments, calling the backlash over the scene absurd. “Trump being in Home Alone 2 is one of the best parts of the movie,” one commenter wrote. “It’s part of the era—and part of the charm.”
Some on the Right see this as yet another example of Hollywood rewriting history to appease the Left, even when it comes to beloved films that millions of Americans still cherish. Trump himself has joked about the cameo in the past, often pointing out that his brief role has been talked about more than many of the film’s actual stars.
As for the director’s suggestion that he’d face “backlash” for cutting the scene now—he may be right, but not from the crowd he expects. Attempting to erase Trump from a holiday classic would only confirm what many already believe: that for Hollywood elites, no legacy is safe if it dares to include Donald Trump.