After Minneapolis city council members wiped $8M from cops' budget as murders soar by 90%

City council members in Minneapolis appear to be backpedaling after slashing some $8 million from the city's police budget, claiming that 'Defund the Police' was never their 'framework.'

In June, Minneapolis city council members Steve Fletcher and Phillipe Cunningham appeared with seven colleagues on a stage bearing a huge sign reading 'Defund Police' during a protest in Powderhorn Park.

Now, the duo seem to be mincing words, with Fletcher telling KSTP-TV on Tuesday: ''Defund' is not the framework the council has ever chosen,' as Cunningham audibly agreed. 

'If we're going to look at how we fund different programs, it would be very hard to do that without taking that money from the Minneapolis Police Department,' he continued.