Whatever happened to that commander that resigned? Did anyone interview him?

Exactly. The Trump supporters feel personally attacked if you bring up any trump criticism, and they aren't going to change their minds anyway, so what's the point? And trump critics already agree with you, so there's nothing to gain there either

Is this from a Maureen Dowd column?

Exactly. Clearly certain (important) things have become less affordable over time, and that is a problem