Donald Trump is slamming reports he bullied his way into the film, "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York," saying the director begged him to play a role in a famous scene with Macaulay Culkin.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform Wednesday, Trump attacked 'Home Alone 2' director Christopher Columbus for hurling the bully accusation at him in a recently resurfaced 2020 Business Insider interview.
The 45th President wrote that Columbus was "begging me to make a cameo appearance" after the movie producers rented NYC's Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, to shoot a scene for the 1992 comedy.
Trump continued, “I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history!"
He added that his brief cameo "took off like a rocket" and, as a result, the movie was a huge success then and now, particularly around Christmas time, noting, "People call me whenever it is aired.”
Columbus, however, saw his encounter with Trump very differently in the 2020 Business Insider interview, which was just rehashed by several media outlets.
At the time, Columbus told Business Insider ... he was unable to rebuild The Plaza Hotel on a soundstage for the scene where Trump bumps into Culkin in the lobby and offers him directions.
Columbus and his team contacted Trump to ask if they could film at 45's then-hotel, assuming they would just have to pay a fee.
Columbus said Trump promised to greenlight their request, but only if he could have a part in the flick.
After agreeing to the deal, Columbus said the "oddest thing" happened during their first screening -- the audience cheered when Trump popped up in the film.
So, Columbus decided to leave Trump in the movie instead of cutting out his scene.
In the interview, Columbus put it this way ... "It’s a moment for the audience. But, he did bully his way into the movie.”