The morning brought reports of SPD leadership openly distancing themselves from Scholz, with former party chairs Gabriel and Schröder joining the criticism. Ukraine's first ATACMS strike on Russian territory emerged as breaking news, while Scholz attempted to manage the SPD crisis from Rio.
By afternoon, Defense Minister Pistorius emerged as potential replacement candidate, leading to denied reports of an emergency SPD meeting. Military experts publicly dismantled Scholz's arguments against Taurus delivery, while Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov praised Scholz's stance.
Evening coverage revealed the regional SPD organizations, particularly from North Rhine-Westphalia, increasingly favoring Pistorius. Public broadcasters ARD and ZDF announced constitutional court action over funding, while new polls showed further decline in SPD support. The party leadership's attempts to present unity appeared increasingly strained as Scholz postponed his return flight to attend emergency consultations.