The U.S. government leaders Assange made fools of by publishing very delicate secrets understandably if not justifiably want revenge.
I don't recall if betrayal by either Assange or Manning resulted in loss of life. When such secrets come through spies whose identity suddenly become known to the bad guys, their lives may be short.
Daniel Ellsberg seems to retain some reverence from journalists over the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. I'm not sure either Assange or Manning are in Ellsberg's class.
I don't deny Assange's decline. But that decline may appear more extreme than it actually was, for it wouldn't surprise me if Assange was wobbly before his fame.