CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr expressed serious skepticism that President Obama's nomination of Ashton Carter for Secretary of Defense will change the tense relationship between the White House and the DoD.
"If you had the last three Secretaries of Defense run into problems with the National Security staff, with Susan Rice and the very so-called heavy handed micromanagement from the White House, I'm not sure Ashton Carter is coming into anything much different," Starr said shortly after Obama announced Carter's nomination Friday.
During his speech, Obama reiterated that America's armed forces "are going to necessarily have to be leaner," using a euphemism for his administration's plan to shrink the U.S. military to pre-WWII levels.
National Security adviser Susan Rice undoubtedly caused friction with outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who criticized the White House's strategy toward the Syria conflict.
"Maybe [Carter] will be able to deal with it better, but it doesn't seem there will be any real change on the White House side," Starr said.