How can we see Venus if it closer to the sun?

Venus is the 4th brightest thing in Earth's skies after the Sun, full moon (new Moon is May 4) and the ISS. Be us is a naked eye object and its altitude above the horizon CAN be as high as 48°

Right now Venus is a morning star that rises around 5:45 daylight time. The Sun rises at 6:40 am daylight time. Right NOW the ecliptic is at relatively shallow angle to the EASTERN horizon, Venus probably is to close to the Sun before Venus is high enough to be seen before the Sun wipes it out UNLESS you know WHERE to look. Venus CAN be seen during the day.

The Earth is NOT always turned entirely away from the Mercury is also a naked eye planet and can be bright at eastern elongation (after sunSET) and western elongation (before sunRISE).

You do NOT need a telescope to see Venus, but if your mind is closed by willful ignorance and apathy, you probably never will recognize Venus even when it is obvious to other people where you are.

You can see it best when it's at an elongation point. And either in the early morning, before dawn, or just after sunset.
https://cosmicpursuits.com/night-sky-this-month/

The other time, is when it transits the sun. this a rare event, which last happen in 2012, and won't happen again until 2117.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/science/the-last-transit-of-venus-until-2117/

However, you can catch the transit of Mercury.
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/transit/2019-november-11

with a telescope and the Mark One eyeball. why do you think it is called the Morning and evening star,. you can see Mercury also.
Right now Venus and Mercury can be seen 40 minutes before Sun rise in the East. Since I get to work early I can see them

Venus is not always directly between the Earth and the sun. Just like the moon, Venus makes a triangle with the Earth and sun and we can see it for part of its orbit.
Mercury too, for the same reason.
https://www.ducksters.com/science/venus.php

When Venus is at Opposition it is at its brightest
It rises just before Dawn before our New Year and Just before Dusk after
We don't see it when it is between us and the Sun, apart from observing its Sillhouete
Like Mercury it is an Inferior Planet, that is between us and the Sun
We can watch as they transit the Sun
I have seen both Venus and Mercury in the same morning sky about 5-00 am

We can't see Venus in the middle of the night. It is always just a bit above or below the sun, so we see it at sunset or sunrise. It is the brightest thing in the sky.
Mercury is closer to the sun so it us even harder to see. It is just a speck very near the sun and hard to find.

The only time we can't see Venus is when it's almost in-line with the sun; this morning, it's the bright 'star' seen on the Eastern horizon. In a few weeks, it's orbit will take it behind the sun, and we'll lose if from view until it shows up as the evening star in a couple of months.

You can't see it when you are facing away, like in deep night time. But near sunrise and sunset you stand a chance because the sky is darker than in the day and you can look toward the sun.

Just because it is less distant from the sun, doesn't mean it is always directly in line. Since Venus orbits the sun in about 8 months, they will only be in line roughly every 2 years.

You can't see it at night. It sometimes comes up before the sun and sometimes goes down after it, but it won't be visible deep in the night for the reason you state.

Venus is the Morning Star at times and the Evening Star at other times. When it's orbit takes it away from being directly on the other side of the sun or directly in between us and the sun, It swings away from the sun far enough so we can get a look at it in a dark sky.

you can see Venus in the nearest pub when you are really really drunk

Telescopes, of course.