Chris Columbus, the renowned filmmaker behind movies like Home Alone and Harry Potter, has expressed his desire to remove Donald Trump’s cameo from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, referring to it as “an albatross.” Despite his wish to erase the scene, Columbus fears potential deportation by the Trump administration if he were to follow through. The controversy surrounding Trump’s cameo began in 2020, with Columbus revealing that it was a condition imposed by Trump himself in exchange for filming at the Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time.

Trump’s claim that Columbus begged him for the cameo was refuted by the director, who emphasized that he would never beg a non-actor to appear in his film. Despite his initial instinct to cut the scene, Columbus ultimately decided against it after receiving positive reactions from viewers at a screening. This decision has faced scrutiny from Trump supporters, with complaints arising when the cameo was removed from a Canadian TV broadcast in 2019.

Columbus’s concerns about potential repercussions for removing Trump’s cameo stem from the administration’s history of pursuing deportation cases, as well as targeting media entities critical of the president. Despite the ongoing debate surrounding the cameo, Columbus remains hesitant to take action, acknowledging the potential consequences he could face. The filmmaker’s dilemma underscores the complex intersection of politics, entertainment, and personal convictions in the film industry.