Donald Trump wants to make it clear that he’s not the Grinch, despite once making controversial comments about Santa Claus. The former president is emphasizing his positive contributions to the holiday classic “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” following recent remarks by the film’s director, Chris Columbus, who claimed that Trump insisted on a cameo.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump addressed the director’s comments and provided his perspective on the situation. According to Trump, he was initially reluctant to make a cameo appearance in the 1992 comedy, despite pleas from Columbus and others. The filmmakers rented the Plaza Hotel in New York, which Trump owned at the time, to shoot the scene. Trump agreed to the cameo, and he claims the rest is history.
“That little cameo took off like a rocket, and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmastime,” Trump asserted. “People call me whenever it is aired.”
Columbus had previously told Business Insider that Trump insisted on a cameo in exchange for letting them use the Plaza Hotel. According to Columbus, Trump “did bully his way into the movie.” Trump strongly refuted this characterization in his post, stating, “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Trump argued that his cameo helped make the movie a success, questioning why the filmmakers would include him and keep the scene for over 30 years if they felt bullied or didn’t want him. He dismissed Columbus as “just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself.”
“Home Alone 2” achieved considerable success, grossing $359 million at the worldwide box office. Trump emphasized his ongoing popularity within the film, asserting his lasting impact on its appeal. However, it remains challenging to quantify the specific influence of Trump’s brief six-second, one-line cameo on the movie’s box office success.
In this statement, Trump aims to set the record straight about his involvement in “Home Alone 2” and underline his belief in his positive contribution to the film’s enduring popularity.