I don’t think a pardon is in the future for Assange, but I could see a quite reasonable plea deal with a Trump Justice Department.
He’s done a great service to the American people, but let’s not forget we actually do have an interest in keeping military secrets from our enemies to protect the American people.
I think the Obama administration expected that Permanent Demographic Change was already here and the Left would have control of the US government for the foreseeable future.
Therefore they didn’t give a crap about the rule of law and made the departments and agencies of the US government a type of Chekist tool against political and ideological opponents.
Personally, I have ZERO confidence that the NSA has not been used to blackmail justices or congressmen or media people with the mass data they collect on ordinary American citizens.
We need a new regime of whistleblower protections to pick up legitimate whistleblowers.
But it is not necessarily all black and white. For example, Edward Snowden did a service in many respects, but not in others.
I suggest Assange and Snowden seek reasonable plea agreements that contain consent agreements on conduct going forward in conjunction with new congressional legislation with a view to drawing a new line between whistleblowing and genuine protection of legitimate US secrets.
I like your statement that Snowden and Assange seek reasonable plea agreements with the U.S. With perhaps a minimum term in confinement, and Snoweden to never be permitted to hold a security clearance hereafter. I appreciate what Assange has done for America, and would prefer he gets an “out of jail pass” here in the states and can get repatriated to Australia,