Donald Trump was accused of applying quid pro quo during his time at the White House, and Home Alone: Lost in New York director is now confirming that’s the way the twice-impeached president got himself a cameo in the holiday film classic.
Chris Columbus returned to helm the Home Alone sequel following the success of the first film starring Macaulay Culkin. In a new interview, Columbus details how Trump weaseled his way into an on-camera appearance.
“Like most locations in New York City, you just pay a fee and you are allowed to shoot in that location. We approached The Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, because we wanted to shoot in the lobby. We couldn’t rebuild The Plaza on a soundstage,” Columbus said in an interview with Business Insider.
Trump agreed to having the film shoot at his hotel under the condition that he appear In the movie.
“Trump said OK. We paid the fee, but he also said, ‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie,’” Columbus explained. “So we agreed to put him in the movie, and when we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: People cheered when Trump showed up on-screen. So I said to my editor, “Leave him in the movie. It’s a moment for the audience.” But he did bully his way into the movie.”
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was released in 1992, two years after the original. The sequel follows Culkin’s Kevin McCallister as he finds himself lost in the Big Apple while his family travels to Florida. McCallister is sought once again by the Wet Bandits after their escape from prison.