A hiker who took a photo with Hillary Clinton the day after she lost the election is being accused of fabricating the image.
Margot Gerster was hiking with her daughter near the Clinton home in Chappaqua, New York, while Hillary and Bill were out walking their two dogs.
The chance meeting garnered worldwide media attention and sparked online criticism after her Facebook post revealed it was not her first time meeting Clinton.
Margot Gerster poses with Hillary Clinton while hiking with her daughter the day after she lost the election. Photo: Facebook
The New York resident insisted her hiking encounter was real, telling Inside Edition that the photo was “definitely not staged” and that she was “sad that people think it’s a lie.”
Gerster said he went on the hike to shake off the sadness he felt after Clinton lost the presidential election.
“They seemed like a normal, happy couple taking their dog for a walk,” she told Inside Edition.
The New York resident posed for a photo with the former First Lady, who was all smiles.
Previous photos posted to Margot Gerster’s Facebook page showed that she had already met Clinton when her mother hosted a fundraiser at the Crabtree Kittle House. Photo: Facebook
The mother posted the photo on Facebook, where it quickly went viral around the world, with comments such as “totally fake, ridiculous.”
Photos posted to Facebook showed that her mother had already met Clinton at a fundraiser at the Crabtree-Kittle House, leading people to criticize her online for fabricating the photos.
“I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her how proud I was that she was able to take her daughter to vote,” Gerster said as she watched Clinton’s concession speech.
“Then I met her and we did it and it was amazing and fantastic!”