Home / Tricks / Accusing by question ("just asking questions")
Accusing by question ("just asking questions")
Asking a loaded question to plant a claim it never has to prove.
In our replies we call it: Accuses by asking
What it means
Instead of making a claim it would have to prove, the Reel asks a question that assumes it: "Why is the identity being hidden?", "Isn't it strange that...?" The viewer fills in the accusation, and the creator can always say they were "just asking".
How to spot it in a Reel
- Several dramatic questions in a row, no answers
- "Coincidence?" / "Think about it"
- Questions that assume a cover-up
Examples
- "Why is the attacker's name still secret? Who are they protecting?" when investigators simply haven't finished.
- "Isn't it strange the report came out just before the election?"
Why it doesn't hold up
A question isn't evidence. If the creator had proof, they'd show it. The ordinary explanation (an investigation is ongoing, timing is a coincidence) is usually left out.
What to say back
"What's the evidence for the thing the question implies?"
Questions
What is JAQing off?
Slang for "just asking questions": planting an accusation through questions to avoid having to prove it.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
Send a Reel