Politicians have alliances and rivalries in their own political parties, across the aisle, and with other leaders across the world.
But some take their allegiance to a different level. A select few enter the realm of bromance.
From rivals to best buddies, here are five of the greatest political bromances that shaped US history.
Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
Adams and Jefferson were the original American bromance. But the two men were also political rivals from very different backgrounds.
Adams was a Federalist from Massachusetts, while Jefferson was an Anti-Federalist from Virginia. The two Founding Fathers, who would both serve as president, were pen pals and frequently wrote letters to each other over the years.
After George Washington stepped down after his second term, the two ran against each other for the presidency. Even though Adams won that race, the two men eventually put their differences aside.
Adams once wrote to Jefferson: "intimate Correspondence with you ... is one of the most agreeable Events in my Life."
And on July 4, 1826 — which happened to be the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — Adams and Jefferson both died within hours of each other.
Sources: Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Boston University, History.com
Sens. John McCain and Ted Kennedy
Two senators who put party politics aside and reached across the aisle to work on legislation were Arizona Republican John McCain and Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy.
The two men worked closely together on several issues and pieces of legislation, including immigration reform.
In his latest memoir, McCain said Kennedy "gave value no other senator had" when crafting legislation because of his outsize role in the Democratic party and because he was respected by all in the Senate.
When Kennedy passed away in 2009, McCain gave a heartfelt eulogy at his funeral. "Ted and I shared the sentiment that a fight not joined was a fight not enjoyed," McCain said.
McCain is now suffering from the same form of brain cancer as his former Senate colleague. After receiving the cancer diagnosis, McCain told CBS's "60 Minutes" that he still thinks about Kennedy a lot.
Sources: Business Insider, NPR, The New York Times, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution
Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Two Supreme Court justices with very different ideologies were actually two of the closest on the highest court in the United States.
Even though liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is not a "bro", she and the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia formed a tight bond during their time on the court together despite agreeing on very few issues.
"We were best buddies," Ginsburg wrote after Scalia passed away in 2016. Both justices enjoyed opera, and Ginsburg has even said Scalia made her better as a justice.
The two celebrated New Years and vacationed together every year with their spouses, too. Ginsburg recently said that she misses Scalia very much.
Sources: Business Insider, NPR, Forward
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