In recent broadcasts of the 1992 classic Home Alone 2, Canadian audiences might’ve noticed something missing: a cameo from President Donald Trump.
As first reported by Comicbook.com, the Canadian Broadcast Center aired a shortened version of the film which excluded the brief scene featuring the future POTUS. In the clip, child star Macaulay Culkin bumps into Trump at The Plaza, which at the time was owned by The Donald. Culkin’s Kevin McCallister asks him for directions to the lobby, to which Trump replies, “Down the hall and to the left.”
The scene plays no part in the movie’s plot (Trump had a habit of weaseling his way into films in exchange for using his properties as locations). Still, its removal is kicking up mixed responses via social media. Some were excited to see the controversial leader pulled from the flick, while others saw the choice as some form of politically motivated censorship.
(Read: The 25 Greatest Christmas Movies of All Time)
In a statement, a representative from CBC explained the decision wasn’t a political jab, and that “as is often the case with features adapted for television, Home Alone 2 was edited to allow for commercial time within the format.” This is, of course, something networks do frequently and is completely plausible; apparently, CBC has been airing this particular edit of Home Alone 2 since 2015.
As noted by Deadline, the President was actually asked about his role in the film during a conference call with US troops on Christmas Eve. Trump responded that he’d often been recognized for the role, adding, “It turned out to be a very big hit, obviously. It’s a big Christmas hit – one of the biggest. So it’s an honor to be involved in something like that, you always like to see success.”
Maybe Trump hadn’t been notified of the changes. He might be preoccupied with his talks with Vanilla Ice to build a presidential library in a trailer park, and scheming his return to The Apprentice. In related reboot news, the upcoming new Home Alone for Disney+ is making headway with its casting. Trump probably won’t be appearing in that one.
Update: Trump has responded to the Home Alone 2 snub.
When CBC edits out Donald Trump from home alone pic.twitter.com/icwSHE8z6B
— rebecca (@_rburtt) December 15, 2019
CBC TV in Canada has cut Donald Trump’s Home Alone 2 cameo out of their broadcast.
They’re so triggered by him that they had to edit him out of the film.
Absolutely pathetic.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) December 26, 2019
‘Pathetic’: Canada’s CBC under fire when Trump’s cameo in ‘Home Alone 2’ disappears from Christmas broadcast https://t.co/zJUij9qrLe
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 26, 2019
