White House adviser claims executive orders are the work of 'the lord' – but video reveals Trump was not a fan when Obama used them

Nancy Pelosi calls Trump's new orders 'absolutely unconstitutional" – but declines to say if House and Senate Democrats intend to sue in order to block them

A top adviser to Donald Trump claims the "lord" joined forces with America's founders to create executive orders in a devine preemptive strike against partisan bickering.

"[The] lord and the Founding Fathers created executive orders because of partisan bickering and divided government," Peter Navarro told NBC News on Sunday. "That's what we have here, but the president has taken action."

He was referring to executive orders Mr Trump signed over the weekend after White House officials and congressional Democratic leaders failed to strike a deal on a fifth coronavirus relief package.

Mr Trump signed missives to suspend the collection of payroll taxes, provide unemployment benefits from a still-unclear source, and protect people from being evicted amid the pandemic.

Some Republicans and Democrats say the orders are unconstitutional, however, because Congress holds the power to craft tax and spending policies – though presidents have the authority to interpret how they are implemented.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the orders "absolutely unconstitutional" during a Sunday CNN interview, but did not say if House and Senate Democrats intend to sue Mr Trump in an effort to nix the executive orders.

"I'm confident that every single one of those orders which cleared through the Office of Legal Counsel will stand up," Mr Navarro said, referring to the Justice Department shop that reviews such presidential documents.

The president signed the orders and held two press conferences over the weekend from his golf resort in Bedminster, NJ, where he is believed to have also hit the links. He has done so more than 260 times since taking office in January 2017, according to pool reports and media tabulations.

But his top trade adviser described Mr Trump as the "hardest working president in history."

He also criticised Ms Pelosi for her neckwear and her willingness to throw a metaphorical elbow or two.

Mr Navarro complained that the speaker "goes out every day with her scarves flying and just beats the heck out of us for being cruel people."