I can speak from experience that the OP is correct.

A couple of years before Trump became president, I befriended someone who I mistakenly believed was a kind person because of how much she emphasized on empathy. During the course of our friendship I grew to realize she was a covert narcissist whose little world was revolved around herself. She had no empathy for anyone unless their problem related to her own self-identity. Her values were quick to disappear when conflict arose and then she would get petty grudges against people. She had no problem using your time and your effort for her emotional validation, and then was quick to forget you existed when she no longer needed anything.

She is also leftist who increasingly grew to push nonsense about trans, 3rd gender, otherkin type of crap and feminist victimhood. She exists in the paradox of viewing herself as a female victim while at the same time believing she has no gender.

I was very miserable from the experience of being her "friend", but looking back I'm kind of glad I learned from this experience, because it prepared me to recognize the phoniness in all of the leftists during the Trump years.