After his Tuesday arraignment in New York, former President Donald Trump delivered a blistering response from his Mar-a-Lago resort, and though his wife Melania was not among the family members assembled for the event, that should not be interpreted to mean that she no longer supports her husband, according to the Daily Mail.

Though frequently the subject of much speculation, the Trump marriage has endured through a host of scandals and challenges and shows no signs of wavering amid the former president's most recent legal hurdle, in the estimation of sources close to the couple.

Marriage under microscope

Considering the subject matter underlying the criminal charges against the former president, namely, hush money payments to an adult entertainer that were meant to silence talk of an alleged affair after they tied the knot, many in the media and elsewhere wondered whether Melania Trump would continue standing by the man she married.

Some of those questions were answered almost immediately after the Trump indictment was announced, with the former first lady appearing alongside her husband last Thursday at a dinner event in Florida, as the Mail reported separately.

According to sources, Mrs. Trump wore a bold red dress as she joined the former president for a glamourous meal with assembled guests and stayed close to him for the duration of the evening.

Despite that showing of solidarity, speculation about the state of the Trumps' marriage persisted this week when the former first lady chose not to accompany her husband to the Big Apple for his court appearance and did not attend his subsequent Tuesday evening speech, for which several other family members were indeed present.

Defying expectations

As the Mail points out, throughout the marriage of Donald and Melania Trump, detractors have suggested that the former first lady is little more than a captive in an unhappy union with an domineering older man.

Sara Haines of ABC's The View even went so far as to posit that the marriage is essentially a business arrangement, saying earlier this month, according to the Mail, “There could be monies in exchange, deals made, arrangements.”

Such portrayals are, according to a source close to Mrs. Trump who spoke to the Mail, not only insulting, but also false.

“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 declared.

“Realistic and practical view”

Despite her public criticisms of the former president, Stephanie Grisham, who once served as chief of staff to Mrs. Trump, took issue with the notion that her former boss is dissatisfied with the terms of her marriage.

“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. She never mentioned divorce. And when it came to Stormy [Daniels], she always just said this: 'his problem,'” Grisham said, as the Mail noted.

The former White House staffer added, “I wasn't surprised that she wasn't at the Mar-a-Lago speech. She doesn't want to be seen as the wife who will be next to her husband no matter what he does. She puts herself first.”

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

“Never say never”

Despite continued media attempts to paint her life as one marred by a quasi-abusive marriage, Melania Trump is, according to insiders, enjoying life alongside members of her tight-knit inner circle that includes her parents and 17-year-old son, Barron.

“Melania's friends are her family members,” one Palm Beach insider told People. “She has always surrounded herself with family” and is “a doting mother to Barron and very protective of him.”

“Barron has always been a first priority in [Melania's] life,” the source added. “Of course, she is worried and concerned about the legal issues, but she has not done anything more to protect Barron now than she ever did. She has always put him first. She is a good mother.”

The insider further opined that the Trumps “just deal with things as they come and seem to survive pretty well,” despite mainstream media attempts to portray a far more sinister scenario. Perhaps lending support to that hypothesis was a statement Mrs. Trump herself made last year in which she mused with regard to another possible term as first lady, “Never say never.”