The former president, Donald J. Trump, took contrasting approaches with potential witnesses Michael Cohen and Allen H. Weisselberg. While Trump distanced himself from Cohen and attacked him, he paid Weisselberg's legal fees and offered him a severance package to prevent his cooperation with law enforcement. Cohen is set to testify against Trump in a criminal trial, while Weisselberg, despite pleading guilty to perjury, is not expected to testify. Trump's aggressive tactics with witnesses have led to legal consequences, including a gag order in the Manhattan case. The article highlights the power and peril of Trump's strategies in avoiding legal crises.