甜点抗辩（Twinkie Defense）是指罪犯将自己的罪行，归咎于其他非正常的外在因素的狡辩行为。

1977年，曾任职警员及消防员的丹·怀特出任美国三藩市市政委员，于短短一年后，他因为个人财政问题而宣布辞职。但在宣布辞职几日后，他改变主意，要求当时的市长乔治·莫斯科尼（George Moscone）再次委任他，但由于市长已决定另派他人补上，故此拒绝了丹怀特的要求。

1978年11月27日，丹怀特持枪从地下层的窗口潜入政务大楼，先闯入市长莫斯孔尼的办公室将市长射杀，及后于另一位置将另一市政委员、知名同志平权运动者哈维·米尔克（Harvey Milk）射杀。丹怀特事后被制伏。

"Twinkie defense" is a derisive label for an improbable legal defense. It is not a recognized legal defense in jurisprudence, but a catchall term coined by reporters during their coverage of the trial of defendant Dan White for the murders of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk and mayor George Moscone. White's defense was that he suffered diminished capacity as a result of his depression. His change in diet from healthy food to Twinkies and other sugary food was said to be a symptom of depression. Contrary to common belief, White's attorneys did not argue that the Twinkies were the cause of White's actions, but that their consumption was symptomatic of his underlying depression. White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.