straw man
Attacking a distorted, weaker version of someone's position.
A straw man replaces an opponent's actual claim with an exaggerated or simplified version that is easier to refute, then treats refuting that version as refuting the original. The reply is still about the opponent's position, but not the position they actually hold.
Examples
Proposal: "We should cut the library's evening hours on Sundays." Reply: "So you want to shut down the library?"
See also