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Randomly came across an article with the title Why Angry White America Fell For Putin today.

Provocative title and content of the article aside, there is an obvious kind of fallacy in the title itself. A statement of the form "Why X" where the truth of X is assumed but not actually an established fact. Is there, and what is, the precise name of this non sequitur?

P.S. First post here. Couldn't find the rhetoric stack exchange so hope this is a good enough place for this.

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    Hmm. Loaded question, as in "Have you stopped beating your wife"?
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 1:44
  • But it's not a question. Loaded statement perhaps. But yes loaded question is on the right track.
    – spinkus
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 1:47
  • It is an implicit question (setting out with Why...?). But maybe you'd prefer enthymematic argument (where "Angry White America did indeed fall for Putin" is the hidden enthymeme).
    – Dan Bron
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 1:52
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    Anyway, loaded question lead me to my answer: Presupposition. Thanks for that.
    – spinkus
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 2:04
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    Is this actually a non sequitor or a fallacious statement? Any number of books, articles, arguments, etc. state their premise before it is proved. For all I know, the article presented an argument to substantiate this statement adequately. If so, I think that just makes it the title (or thesis statement, if you will). Picking it out and calling it a fallacy as if it occurred in a vacuum seems odd.
    – chronometric
    Commented Dec 15, 2016 at 22:15

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This does look a lot like 'begging the question' since the statement, which is yet to be expounded upon in the article, already contains the conclusion ie "they fell for it" (gullible/stupid) because of or in addition to the fact they are "angry white men" (racist and agressive).

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I would go with Begging the Question.

As one of the comments stated, it's very similar to the statement form of a "loaded question". Assumptions are made (Angry Whites Americans fell for Putin), begging the question "Why"; which this article is happy to provide an answer for.

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