Home Alone 2: Lost in New York—the heartwarming tale of a child who survives alone in the Big Apple while committing low-key war crimes with bricks. But according to director Chris Columbus (yes, the other Christopher Columbus), there’s one thing he really, really wishes had gotten lost in New York: Donald Trump.
Yep, the future president who once got lost trying to form a sentence appears in the film for a brief moment, showing young Kevin McCallister the way to the hotel lobby. Iconic? Maybe. Regrettable? According to Chris: absolutely.
In a recent interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, Columbus spilled the eggnog: “Years later, it’s become this curse. It’s become this thing that I wish was not there. But it’s there. It’s become an albatross for me. I just wish it was gone.”
(Translation: that cameo has been haunting him harder than the ghost of Christmas past. Someone please send help and also a priest.)
Chris added, “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.”
Which is ironic, because Chris Columbus is literally from the U.S.—but his Italian last name and the former president’s immigration vibes apparently make him fear deportation over a two-second scene. Comedy or horror? You decide.
So there you have it. The man behind Home Alone 2 just wants us to forget Trump’s cameo like we forgot the plot of Home Alone 3. Too bad the internet keeps bringing it up every Christmas like a toxic ex.
Moral of the story? If a kid asks you for directions in a movie, maybe just point silently and walk away. Or wear a disguise. Or maybe… don’t be Donald Trump.