Fallacy Finder · Relevance

Red herring

Also called: Changing the subject

Slipping in a different topic to lead the discussion away from the point.

How to spot it

Is the reply answering the question you asked, or a more comfortable one nearby?

“Why was the report late?” “Honestly, people forget how hard this team works.”

Acknowledge the new point briefly, then ask your original question again.

Straw man: Attacking a weaker version of what someone said, instead of what they actually said.
Tu quoque: Dismissing a criticism by pointing out that the critic does the same thing.