Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has had enough of a local right-wing reporter’s questions over his official vehicle and accusations that he misused funds to buy the pricey SUV.
Scott had a few choice words for the reporter during an exchange at a press conference on Jan. 21 as he defended his decision to purchase the Jeep Grand Wagoneer for more than $163,000, including over $64,000 in security upgrades, accusing Fox 45 Baltimore’s Tessa Bentulan’s questioning as “having a racist slant.”
Bentulan at the press conference brought up the vehicle and its price again.
“We understand that your station has just suffered a severe right-wing effort underway. We get that. But you also, you guys are dragging this thing out, and also not including all the facts,” Scott stated.
“A vehicle that was purchased in 2023 is not the same price as 2025, right? You have to understand that reality,” Scott started to explain when Bentulan tried to interrupt, but the mayor wasn’t having it.
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“Let me talk, please. We heard your question. You’ve asked the same idiotic question now for three months,” Scott scolded her.
“We understand that when you look at a base price for SUVs, base price of SUVs now, as you know, are between $90,000 and $100,000,” Scott said.
“You’re talking about a police vehicle with police equipment on it, added on top of that vehicle. It’s very simple. And we when you look at these, are not astronomical costs, right?”
But news outlets in Baltimore have compared the cost of Scott’s SUV with other state officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, whose 2025 Chevrolet Suburban cost $82,141, roughly half the price of Scott’s SUV. Moore’s vehicle includes $10,141 in custom security features, according to WBFF TV.
Bentulan pressed on why Scott’s cost so much more.
The mayor pointed out that reporters don’t question the cost of security for the president.
“You wouldn’t do that. You would never do that. This is ridiculous. Let it go. Next question,” an impatient Scott ordered.
Bentulan persisted, demanding an answer, insinuating Scott had overspent on the taxpayers’ dime, again citing the lower costs of vehicles for other state officials.
She then accused the mayor of not answering her question. That’s when he seriously clapped back while remaining calm during the grilling.
“I did answer the question just because you didn’t get the answer that you wanted and your racist slant is one thing,” Scott said accusingly.
Social media weighed in on the exchange, with some disagreeing with the line of questioning and others pointing to past corruption in Baltimore’s government.
“They can’t use ‘the this city is out of control and violent’ anymore so now they are going for the ‘black mayor, misusing funds,’” Threads user J Harris declared.
But another responded, “To be completely transparent tho: our city has a history of Black mayors misusing funds lmao.”
This Threads user took offense at targeting “Black mayors.” “Every single politician misuses funds .. wake up.”
Local reporting on the issue last fall, when the cost of Scott’s SUV came to light, was mixed, from those who believe the mayor of a major city needs such an expensive and secure vehicle to others who thought the price was simply too high.
They cited rising costs for average citizens on everything from groceries and rent to utility bills and the need to spend more on education, infrastructure, and safety needs, according to Baltimore Fox 45.
