The defense in Dan White's trial argued that eating Twinkies caused him to murder George Moscone and Harvey Milk.

the verdict

REFUTED

the evidence says no

Recorded sources

1 source for · 7 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that the defense in Dan White's trial argued that eating Twinkies caused him to murder George Moscone and Harvey Milk?

No. Multiple reference sources state that Dan White's defense argued his diminished capacity stemmed from depression, with junk food consumption cited only as a symptom, and that no defense lawyer argued Twinkies caused the murders. A Snopes fact-check rates the claim that the defense successfully argued Twinkies impaired his judgment as false.

Verdict: REFUTED · 1 source for, 7 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 1

San Francisco leaders George Moscone and Harvey Milk are murdered | November 27, 1978 | HISTORY

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San Francisco leaders George Moscone and Harvey Milk are murdered | November 27, 1978 | HISTORY. (n.d.). history.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-27/san-francisco-leaders-george-moscone-and-harvey-milk-are-murdered

Evidence against · 7

Twinkie defense - Wikipedia

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Twinkie defense - Wikipedia. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkie_defense

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More against · 6

George Moscone

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George Moscone. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Moscone

Dan White: The Myth of the Twinkie Defense

2006

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Ewing, C. P. & McCann, J. T. (2006). Dan White: The Myth of the Twinkie Defense. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195181760.003.0007

Assassinations of George Moscone and Harvey Milk

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Assassinations of George Moscone and Harvey Milk. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassinations_of_George_Moscone_and_Harvey_Milk

The Twinkie Defense: Debunking the Myths and Misinformation | Snopes.com

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The Twinkie Defense: Debunking the Myths and Misinformation | Snopes.com. (n.d.). snopes.com. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-twinkie-defense/

The Insanity Plea

1983

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Winslade, W. J. & Ross, J. W. (1983). The Insanity Plea. books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=bwAWAQAAIAAJ&dq=The+defense+in+Dan+White%27s+trial+argued+that+eating+Twinkies+caused+him+to+murder+George+Moscone+and+Harvey+Milk.&hl=&as_pt=BOOKS&source=gbs_api

Criminal Justice

2013

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Fuller, J. R. (2013). Criminal Justice. books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=T56JEQAAQBAJ&dq=The+defense+in+Dan+White%27s+trial+argued+that+eating+Twinkies+caused+him+to+murder+George+Moscone+and+Harvey+Milk.&hl=&as_pt=BOOKS&source=gbs_api

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