It must surely be obvious to all concerned that loyalty is a one-way street for Trump, and that he will sell every one of them out in less than a heartbeat. The smarter ones must surely be thinking hard about how best to avoid taking the rap for his crimes as well as their own.
Of course the calculation becomes complicated, because while there’s no upside to taking the fall for Trump, there is a real risk in turning on him too publicly. Every potential witness is just one all-caps Truth Social post away from having to look over their shoulder for the rest of their life. Unlike traditional Mafia bosses, Trump may not have any loyal gunmen on payroll, but he’s got an awful lot of “stochastic henchmen” hanging on his every word.
Which is why “quiet collaboration” is the way to go.
