I feel that he’s always had the reputation of being … let’s say abrasive. He might be a lovely person in private, but in terms of what he’s put out there in interviews and appearances over the years, yeah, his persona has been pretty consistent. He’s brash, opinionated, and self-promoting. IMHO, in longer, more indepth interviews, where he has the time and space to share ideas more thoughtfully and explain his opinions with more nuance, he comes across a lot better. He’s a smart guy. But in his short answers, things that are expressed as a sound bite or headline … he consistently sounds bratty or overly self-involved.
I don’t even necessarily think it’s a negative thing all the time … one person’s assertiveness could be another person’s aggression. For someone who has had to work hard to get his start in a less than conventional way, I’m sure these traits served him well.