Wes Moore Slams White House For ‘Overstretch’ In Harvard Fight

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said the Trump administration was treating the Constitution like a “suggestion box” in its drawn-out campaign against Harvard during an interview Wednesday morning.

“I think what we’re seeing against Harvard — and frankly, what we’re seeing against a collection of institutions of higher education — is, I think, an overstretch of executive power and executive authority, ” Moore said.

Moore spoke briefly to The Crimson as he left the Breakfast Club, a monthly speaker series hosted by Harvard men’s basketball head coach Tommy Amaker. The program regularly hosts high-profile elected officials — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Peter P.M. Buttigieg ’04 have delivered remarks in the past two years.

When asked whether he had spoken with Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 at the event, Moore said he “did not.”

But when a Crimson reporter asked about a visible exchange between the two before the event, Moore backtracked.

“That was actually my first time meeting him,” he said.

Moore added that he did not have time scheduled to meet with Garber while on campus, though he did not rule out a future meeting.

Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain confirmed that Garber and Moore met at the Breakfast Club but declined to comment on the prospect of a future meeting.

Moore’s comments come nearly 18 months into the Trump administration’s wide-ranging effort to force sweeping changes at Harvard. The University won two major court victories last fall, restoring nearly $2.7 billion in federal research funding and blocking the administration’s effort to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll international students.

Both cases are pending before the First Circuit. Maryland joined 19 Democratic states and the District of Columbia last month on an amicus brief backing Harvard’s bid to keep its federal research grants.

Harvard is also fighting two lawsuits brought by the Department of Justice this spring — one alleging that Harvard violated civil rights law in its response to campus antisemitism and another that accuses the University of stonewalling two investigations into its admissions practices.

“Unfortunately, we have an administration right now who is using the Constitution like it’s a suggestion box,” Moore said.

“It’s important for our courts to be able to make sure that they can not just hold the wall, but hold the line when it comes to making sure that our Constitution is not being abused,” he added.

Moore, a popular first-term governor running for re-election this fall, headlined the Breakfast Club on Wednesday alongside NBA power forward and commentator Charles Barkley, an 11-time All-Star.

The governor, who has been widely floated as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, has repeatedly downplayed speculation about higher office. But in a podcast interview released Wednesday, he appeared to leave the door open to a future run, saying he was “going to be part of a bigger conversation going forward.”

Moore said he was eager to accept Amaker’s invitation to the Breakfast Club and admired the coach’s emphasis on developing holistic leaders.

“I admire both the way he’s led the team, but also the idea that you want to bring character and integrity into it. That it’s not just about creating winners on a court. It’s about really creating people who are ready to lead off a court as well,” Moore said.

“The chance to come here and spend time with him and the players and Charles Barkley was a real honor for me,” he added.

—Staff writer Hugo C. Chiasson can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at hcc.35. Follow him on X @HugoChiassonn.

—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at elisespenner.82. Follow her on X @EliseSpenner.