Chris Columbus Says Trump Cameo in Home Alone 2 Feels Like a “Curse” – Fears of Deportation Loom Over Hollywood Creatives

More than three decades after its release, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York remains a holiday staple. But for its celebrated director Chris Columbus, the film’s seven-second cameo by Donald Trump has become more of a burden than a festive highlight. In a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Columbus referred to the brief appearance of Trump in the 1992 sequel as “this curse,” expressing frustration over its lingering political and cultural baggage.

“It’s become an albatross for me,” Columbus said. “I just wish it was gone. I can’t cut it. If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country. I’ll be considered not fit to live in the United States, so I’ll have to go back to Italy or something,” he joked, alluding to his Italian roots—but the underlying anxiety feels far from humorous.

The director’s comments tap into a growing unease in the creative community about the consequences of speaking out—or editing out—anything related to Trump. Columbus, best known for iconic films like The Goonies, Mrs Doubtfire, and the first two Harry Potter instalment’s, now finds himself in the uncomfortable position of being forever associated with a moment in cinema that has become politically charged.

The cameo in question comes when young Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) wanders through the Plaza Hotel in New York City and asks a suited man—Trump—for directions to the lobby. The real estate mogul, who owned the hotel at the time, famously insisted on being included in the film as a condition for Columbus to shoot in the lavish venue. “The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie,” Columbus recalled in a 2020 interview with Insider. “He did bully his way into the movie.”

While audiences at the time reportedly cheered Trump’s appearance, the sentiment has shifted dramatically since his presidency. Columbus now faces a lose-lose situation: leave the scene in, and he’s accused of glorifying a controversial figure; take it out, and face backlash from Trump supporters and perhaps even government scrutiny, as he jokingly—but pointedly—suggests.

But this is not just about cinema. It ties into broader fears rippling through the arts and entertainment industries under Trump’s political shadow. Several high-profile figures have voiced concerns over the chilling effect Trump-era immigration enforcement has had, especially on dissenting voices.

Canadian-American rock legend Neil Young, for instance, has expressed fears about being barred from re-entering the U.S. after criticising Trump. Actress Jasmine Mooney shared a harrowing experience in an interview where she described being detained for nearly two weeks in what she called “inhumane” conditions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to her, the detention was prompted by her political views and past activism.

The fear of deportation has been exacerbated by recent administrative missteps, including the wrongful deportation of Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man with no criminal record, to a mega-prison in El Salvador. Despite being married to a U.S. citizen, Garcia was forcibly removed from the country in what was later deemed an “administration error.” The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled the deportation illegal—but the damage had already been done.

Against this backdrop, Columbus’s worries don’t seem so outlandish. Though likely said in jest, his comment about being deported for cutting a Trump cameo reflects real concerns among creatives who fear retaliation for challenging the former president’s legacy.

Of course, Trump has his own version of events. In a 2023 post on Truth Social, he refuted Columbus’s claims that he bullied his way into the movie. “I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it,” Trump wrote. “They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket.” He went on to accuse Columbus of seeking publicity, writing: “Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself!”

This isn’t the first time Trump’s cameo has stirred controversy. In 2019, a Canadian broadcast of Home Alone 2 omitted the Trump scene, prompting backlash from his supporters. Trump himself responded, saying, “The movie will never be the same.”

As for Columbus, he’s caught in the crossfire of an ongoing cultural and political war, where even seven seconds of screen time can carry the weight of a nation’s divisions. His reluctance to cut the scene may seem exaggerated to some, but in today’s polarised climate—where immigration policies have been weaponised and dissent can be penalised—it’s not so far-fetched.

In the end, Home Alone 2 remains a holiday classic. But behind the scenes, its legacy is tangled up in a political narrative that no one—least of all its director—saw coming.