That's not irony, that's just him changing his behavior and people changing their feelings accordingly.

> the most hated figure

I don't see any hate in it. He opted into a space where consent of the governed matters, and he's been acting like it doesn't. He has essentially asked us: "Will you let this be profitable for me?" This is just some people answering "No". It was different before he posed the question, before he started trying to act like a king.