The new Cybercab embodies Elon Musk’s vision of cars that drive themselves, but it is not clear when the vehicle will be widely available.
Page A3From§Eachthe milkman edition — 4 September 2026
Musk returns as GOP juggernaut and launches Teslas with no steering wheels
As it ran on the front
The autopilot isn’t just for cars anymore. Elon Musk’s return as a top GOP financier means the wheel gets handed over on two tracks at once: the country’s campaign cash and the highways’ steering columns. First, he’s back as a 2026 ‘juggernaut’ for the party, making sure the gas tank is full for whoever’s driving the platform. On the road, Tesla is rolling out rides with no steering wheel, promising a future where ‘no control’ is just another feature, not a bug.
There’s something tidy about the timing. The same week the campaign money comes pouring in, the cars lose their last vestige of manual override. The bet? That riders—voters, too—are ready to lean back, let the system drive, and trust the route is set somewhere higher up. If you don’t like it, maybe you can walk, but the sidewalk’s looking a little thin these days.…
…(cont) The right’s talking points skip the seatbelt check: this is innovation, disruption, efficiency. But the bill lands the same. When the party and the car both come without a wheel, you’re not the one deciding where you end up. At best, it’s a smoother ride; at worst, you’re a passenger on someone else’s map. Don’t worry—they promise they know where they’re going. And if you want a turn, there’s always the bus. If it still runs.
“Musk’s new act: hand the wheel to the party and the car, hope you don’t miss the brakes. You pay for the ride, but they decide where you’re heading. Control’s an option now—extra, just like democracy.”
“We're talking about innovation—whether it’s campaign finance or mobility. Americans are ready for progress, and if that means letting go of some control, well, that’s the price of greatness. Unless, of course, you don’t like greatness. Did I say that? I meant, freedom. Same thing.”
The receipts
“No steering wheel, no pedals,” Tesla teased on X before the launch.
Tech mogul Elon Musk and his big-spending super PAC are set to give Republicans an even larger financial advantage this fall as Democrats lag behind in midterm fundraising. America PAC, Musk’s outside group, revealed its first spending of the 2026 cycle on Wednesday night, propping up Republicans with what appeared to be mail advertising…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.