Amid rampant gossip and speculation about the state of her marriage to former President Donald Trump, former first lady Melania Trump made a clear showing of support for her spouse over the weekend, joining him for a festive Easter brunch at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, as the Daily Mail reports.

Mrs. Trump's absence from both her husband's arraignment last week and New York City and his speech to supporters immediately thereafter prompted rumors of a rift between the two, but the couple's appearance in the resort's ballroom to share a holiday meal arguably belies the existence of marital strife.

United front

Defying the naysayers, Mr. and Mrs. Trump entered the venue at Mar-a-Lago to loud cheers and a standing ovation, according to video footage that later appeared online.

The pair proceeded to dine together at a table that was cordoned off from other guests, as the Mail further noted.

In keeping with their annual tradition of enjoying Easter brunch at the resort, which is also their Florida home, the couple chatted together throughout the event, leaning in close at times during their conversation.

Earlier in the day, Melania Trump posted a holiday greeting on Twitter, the first social media message from her since March 30, as the Mail noted separately.

False assumptions

After news broke of the former president's indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, many in the media wondered what the development might mean for the Trumps' marriage, which has long been a topic of intense scrutiny.

However, it was not long before Melania Trump made a strong showing of solidarity, appearing with her husband for a dinner event at Mar-a-Lago soon after it became clear that he would indeed be the subject of a prosecution launched by D.A. Alvin Bragg.

Wearing a bold, red dress, Mrs. Trump joined her husband for a formal meal and remained by his side for the remainder of the evening, greeting club members and guests in attendance.

Melania Trump's presence was particularly noteworthy given that the criminal charges at issue stem from allegations about an extramarital affair said to have occurred after she and Donald Trump tied the knot.

Defying predictions

Throughout their union, and particularly in recent years, detractors on the left have regularly hypothesized that Melania is essentially a captive of an unhappy marriage who lives in a gilded cage and that the possibility of a split has always hovered in the air.

Going even further was Sara Haines of ABC's The View, who once posited that the Trump marriage was little more than a business deal, suggesting, “There could be monies in exchange, deals made, arrangements.” as the Mail recently noted.

A source close to the former first lady pushed back on such accusations, however, telling the outlet “Mrs. Trump is strong. She is focused on her family and stands behind her husband, as she always has.”

“For the past seven years, the left has made multiple attempts to smear and attack her family, and this is just the latest attempt to bring him down,” the insider added.

Practical approach

Taking issue with attempts to paint Mrs. Trump as a victim, Stephanie Grisham, the former first lady's onetime chief of staff explained, “I believe Melania knew who her husband was when she married him. She has a very realistic and practical view of who her husband is.”

Grisham added, “They always seemed to have a partnership to me. He used to really look to her for advice and take her advice very seriously.”

One common theme seems to emerge when insiders comment on the manner in which Mrs. Trump lives, namely, that her son, Barron, “has always been a priority...[s]he has always put him first. She is a good mother.”

The source also emphasized that the Trumps “just deal with things as they come and seem to survive pretty well,” regardless of the slings and arrows launched by critics in the media. For answers to the question of whether Melania Trump is on board with a potential return to the White House, observers may want to revisit her comments on the topic from last year in which she provocatively mused, “never say never.”