Mr Trump has said he wants to create a Space Force – a sixth branch of the armed forces

Donald Trump has said the decision on whether to evacuate residents of Florida to protect them from Hurricane Dorian, would be made on Sunday after meeting with officials.

As he left the White House for the presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland, he said members of the federal emergency management agency (FEMA) would be joining him to monitor events.

Forecasters have said the storm could hit Florida on Monday or Tuesday with devastating force.

The president said he had spoken to Republican senator Rick Scott and claimed “tremendous work” was taking place in Florida to mitigate damage.

Meanwhile, Florida governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to closely monitor Hurricane Dorian as it approached the state’s east coast.

Mr DeSantis pointed out during a Friday evening briefing, that no one had accurately predicted the final path of Hurricane Irma three days before it made its US landfall in 2017. Dorian is expected hit Florida late Monday or early Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Centre is predicting landfall near the center of the state, but no evacuations have been ordered yet.

Mr DeSantis said residents need to comply when mandatory evacuations take effect.

Mr DeSantis said: “There is a danger to your life if you remain in these evacuation zones.”