Real reason Donald Trump ended up in Home Alone 2 | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

Many were surprised to see Donald Trump make a cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in 1992. Although this was decades before he became the president of the United States, he was a known media personality and businessman. He was also the owner of the Plaza Hotel from 1988 to 1995, which is the main reason he ended up in the film.

The Plaza serves as a primary location in the iconic Christmas film, and director Chris Columbus wasn’t prepared to say no when Trump reportedly asked to appear. Columbus made the comments during a 2020 interview with Business Insider, claiming the now-US president, who turns 80 today (June 14), had requested a cameo appearance in addition to the standard fee for filming in the hotel.

“We paid the fee, but he also said ‘the only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie’,” Columbus said. “So we agreed to put him in the movie.”

Trump’s appearance prompted “cheers” from audiences during screenings, with Columbus revealing the cameo became a “moment” for fans.

However, he added that Trump “did bully his way into the movie”.

This claim was dismissed by Trump in 2023, who said “nothing could be further from the truth”.

He alleged that he didn’t want to do it but filmmakers were keen for him to appear.

Taking to his Truth Social platform in December 2023, Trump said: “I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent.

“I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time. People call me whenever it is aired.”

He added: “If they felt bullied, or didn’t want me, why did they put me in, and keep me there, for over 30 years? Because I was, and still am, great for the movie, that’s why!”

In the film, Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, bumps into Trump in the hotel and asks him for directions to the lobby.

“Down the hall and to the left,” Trump says in the seven-second clip.

His cameo in Home Alone 2 was followed by appearances in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Sex and the City and Zoolander.