I completely understand how this level of society works. Heck, Epstein was at Mara Largo once...but that didn’t mean he and Trump shared any ideology whatsoever.
Proximity does not equate to level of endearment.
I view there being a difference between a one-time or very infrequent proximity (i.e. you both showed up to the same big event) and having regular, frequent, small and intimate gatherings together.
I’m telling you, these people (McConnell, Pelosi, Biden, etc.) are personal friends. There are exceptions. Ted Cruz is not part of that group. But most are. They don’t even go out of their way to hide a lot of it. Look at Pelosi laughing and joking with everyone at Bob Dole’s 90th birthday party: https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/pelosi-remarks-senator-bob-doles-90th-birthday-celebration
And that’s the stuff they’ll put right out in public. In private, these people spend a lot of time together both in Washington and around the world. And I’m not talking about budget negotiations.