Nobody wants to be the government that executes the disclosure people. It’s political suicide and they’d never win another election. They would have no choice but to cling to power or the world would move on without them.

If someone chose to violate an natsec nda publically, they would become a household name, that is, if the presented irrefutable proof, and it was on every front page. The world would change overnight. Normal procedure and penaltieswould be irrelevant owing entirely to the enormous political ramifications. This would be a black swan event.

The government’s primary concern would be undoing the inevitable political damage to prevent domestic instability. Executing or even prosecuting the party responsible would absolutely undermine any chance of that. It creates a Martyr and appears fascistic. In this case, if the disclosure is substantial enough it’s an empty threat by political necessity.

The current administration was empowered by a demographic that vehemently opposes the death penalty. Informing the public of the irrefutable evidence of nhi and possession of exotic tech is not like disclosing the location of our operatives to Russian spys. It’s simply too big. Old rules no longer apply. Nothing could be done to punish the party in question. The president would be forced to issue a pardon, or condemn the electability of his party to the asheap of history for the foreseeable future, as a paternalistic Mafia that through force and violence, denied humanity it’s rightful place amongst the stars.

The only alternative, in the scenario where a leaker is prosecuted according to law is to subvert democracy and refuse to leave power, or never hold it again.

Let’s remember we are analyzing this through a political lense.

The president’s federal pardon power is absolute, per the constitution. That means that it’s at the discretion of the president whether or not a leaker is actually prosecuted. Public notoriety would effectively shield the person, as opposed to someone selling nuclear secrets in private. This isn’t some national security issue that can be handled according to the letter of the law, it changes the domain of our existence from terrestrial to cosmic. Prosecution won’t fly. No political adviser would allow it. Mass resignations would follow. Pandemonium would ensue.