Donald Trump Breaks Silence After Home Alone 2 Director’s Allegations Over His Famous Cameo in The Plaza Hotel
After nearly 30 years, Donald Trump is speaking out about his brief but memorable cameo in the 1992 holiday classic Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The former president had largely remained silent amid director Chris Columbus’ recent allegations that Trump “bullied his way into the movie” by leveraging his ownership of The Plaza Hotel, where key scenes were filmed. But in an exclusive interview with The Daily Gazette, Trump insists his cameo was no underhanded power play.
How Did Donald Trump’s Infamous Cameo Come About?
According to the Independent, Trump said that he was happy to let them use The Plaza for filming, calling it a fantastic property. He claims that the director actually asked him to do the cameo, thinking it would be a nice surprise for the audience. According to Donald Trump, reports of him forcing his way onscreen are “fake news.”
Columbus had claimed the crew wanted to shoot inside The Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, but Trump wouldn’t allow filming unless he got a line in the movie.
“I was happy to let them use The Plaza for filming, it’s a fantastic property. But the director asked me to do the cameo. He thought it would be a nice little surprise for the audience,” Trump said.
The brief scene shows Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) asking Trump for directions in the lobby. Trump politely obliges before wishing Kevin a Merry Christmas.
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“The director said my cameo would be a big hit. And he was right, it got a great reaction from the audience,” Trump recalled.
Trump says the crowd erupted when he appeared on screen at early test screenings, with Columbus saying he’d never heard an audience react like that before.
Will Donald Trump’s Cameo Be Cut Following Controversy?
While Columbus recently indicated he regretted leaving Trump’s cameo in the final film, Trump doesn’t think it should be removed. Trump opined that it was one of the biggest reactions in the movie and that it would be ridiculous to cut it out now. He added that people love seeing him in there and that there’s nothing wrong with giving the fans what they want.
Despite Columbus’ misgivings, Trump remains proud of his brief but shining moment on the silver screen. He said that it’s a very popular cameo, maybe the most popular cameo of all time, according to some people.
Whether you see Trump’s appearance as a bullying tactic or a cheeky surprise, it has become an iconic – if controversial – part of a beloved holiday film. The former president doesn’t seem too worried about it being cut, saying people still ask him about it all the time and love it. So for now, Trump says, his cameo is likely here to stay.
