On 9 November 2016, Facebook user Margot Gerster published a photograph of herself and Hillary Clinton on a hiking trail, along with a touching story about having randomly encountered the defeated Democratic presidential nominee the day after the election.:
I've been feeling so heartbroken since yesterday's election and decided what better way to relax than take my girls hiking. So I decided to take them to one of favorite places in Chappaqua. We were the only ones there and it was so beautiful and relaxing. As we were leaving, I heard a bit of rustling coming towards me and as I stepped into the clearing there she was, Hillary Clinton and Bill with their dogs doing exactly the same thing as I was. I got to hug her and talk to her and tell her that one of my most proudest moments as a mother was taking Phoebe with me to vote for her. She hugged me and thanked me and we exchanged some sweet pleasentries and then I let them continue their walk. Now, I'm not one for signs but I think I'll definitely take this one. So Proud. #Iamstillwithher #lovetrumpshate #keepfighting #lightfollowsdarkness
Shortly after Gerster posted her account on Facebook, web sites such as "Fellowships of the Mind" published articles claiming that the incident had been staged. These articles lacked the evidence required to back up such a claim, relying solely on a single photograph that had been taken years earlier:
The only problem with the story is this:
Margot Gerster did not “by chance” run into Hillary Clinton because Margot Gerster actually knows Hillary very well.
Here’s another picture that Gerster posted to her Facebook page on November 8 — of herself (right) with Hillary (left) and Margot’s sister, Alexandra (middle). (I painted the yellow arrow and the red bracket.)
