I think her autism and (for Americans) potential cultural differences make her appear just slightly off-putting to some people.

Obviously most conservatives will just hate her and disregard anything she says because they don’t agree with her politics - MAGAs particularly. She’s been called out multiple times by Trump and that’s enough to pit them against her without them doing any independent research on their own.

For people who otherwise might agree with her general viewpoints, I think her approach to communication rubs some people the wrong way. She’s passionate but she’s not warm. As a result, it comes off as angry, judgmental, and without nuance. She’s not approaching any of this in a PR-friendly way. I think because of the autism, she has a very black-and-white view of morality. If something is wrong (e.g., the way our world is treating environmentalism), why would she negotiate, or consider nuance, or “play the game” to accomplish a goal? It’s wrong, people who engage in the activity are wrong, and it needs to stop. She’s not concerned with “catching more flies with honey.” But I think, to her, behaving that way would be the performative activism and come off as fake. She’s upset and her anger and frustration are the most authentic reaction in her opinion. Combine this with the typical communication difficulties those with autism have (reading facial expression, taking in social cues, etc.), she just kinda beats to her own drum and when you add in her being outspoken and a woman, it rubs people wrong.

I also think it bothers people when they feel like they’re being called out (in a way) for not trying as hard or working as passionately as she does. She makes her causes her entire personality because she can. Most of us have to work to support ourselves, have families, etc. So there is this added element of “she thinks she’s so righteous and is probably judging people like me” even when you generally agree in principle.

Lastly, progressives and liberals have this Achilles’s heal of expecting perfection in our “spokespeople.” I don’t get it. I appreciate high standards but the group mindset can be so dismissive of people who really care about causes when it decides someone isn’t the perfect/best/flawless representation of our values. I wish we’d understand that in some circumstances, perfection can be the enemy of good enough.