California Democrat’s Glaring Hypocrisy: Anti-War Crusader’s Household Rakes in Fortune from Defense Giant
While Fatima Iqbal-Zubair rails against “war profiteers” on the campaign trail, her own household has been cashing checks from Raytheon for nearly two decades.
The far-left Democrat seeking California’s 65th Assembly District seat has built her entire political brand on anti-war activism and Pentagon defunding. Yet her spouse, Fazlul Zubair, collects a handsome salary as a systems engineering manager at RTX Corporation—the defense behemoth formerly known as Raytheon that manufactures the very weapons she claims to oppose.
This isn’t just garden-variety political hypocrisy. This is a DSA-endorsed candidate living off the military-industrial complex while campaigning to dismantle it.
The Money Trail Speaks Louder Than Words
When The Post confronted Iqbal-Zubair about this stunning contradiction, her response was telling: “I have no comment.”
Of course she doesn’t. What could she possibly say? How does one explain building a progressive political career on anti-war rhetoric while benefiting from defense contracts worth billions?
Her husband joined Raytheon in 2008 when shares traded around $40. Today they’re worth $212—a windfall that’s padded the Iqbal-Zubair household finances for years. And business has never been better. RTX posted $88.6 billion in sales for 2025, representing 10% growth as global conflicts rage.
A Pattern of Convenient Omissions
This isn’t Iqbal-Zubair’s first brush with financial disclosure problems. In 2020, she “forgot” to include her husband’s Raytheon income on her candidate financial disclosure form. The Fair Political Practices Commission sent her a warning letter—a slap on the wrist for what appears to be a deliberate attempt to hide an inconvenient truth from voters.
Screenshots from her since-deleted social media accounts show her calling to “demilitarize our entire world & defund the Pentagon” in 2022. Meanwhile, her household was profiting from the exact opposite agenda.
The Ultimate Irony
In January, Iqbal-Zubair posed with protesters holding “stop bombing Venezuela” signs while declaring “enough enriching war profiteers and billionaire interests.”
Here’s what she didn’t mention: RTX played a crucial role in the Venezuela operation that captured Nicolás Maduro, utilizing directed energy weapons that the company pioneered. Her husband’s employer also manufactured the Tomahawk cruise missiles that struck Tehran—the very kind of military action she publicly condemns.
The stock market certainly appreciated these conflicts. RTX shares spiked nearly 5% following the Iran strikes. Since June, defense contractors have seen explosive growth, with Lockheed Martin gaining 40%.
Iqbal-Zubair rails against this “war profiteering” while her family’s financial portfolio swells with each new conflict.
The Environmental Contradiction Deepens
Iqbal-Zubair works as a legislative affairs manager for California Environmental Voters, championing climate initiatives and green policies. Yet RTX has faced repeated lawsuits and substantial fines for environmental violations, including contaminated water supplies and air pollution.
The company has been forced into multiple cleanup efforts over the years. But apparently environmental principles take a backseat when the paychecks clear.
The DSA’s Deafening Silence
The Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Iqbal-Zubair in both 2020 and 2022. The organization proudly touts its anti-war credentials and advocates for defunding the U.S. military.
When asked whether they were aware their candidate’s household prospers from defense contracts, the DSA went silent. They didn’t return requests for comment—presumably too busy reconciling their anti-capitalist ideology with their candidate’s military-industrial complex connections.
What Voters Deserve
California voters deserve representatives who practice what they preach. If Iqbal-Zubair genuinely believes the Pentagon should be defunded and defense contractors are immoral “war profiteers,” she should start by addressing the beam in her own eye.
She can’t have it both ways—condemning the military-industrial complex in campaign speeches while depositing its dividends in her bank account.
The Department of Defense recently secured long-term contracts with RTX to increase annual Tomahawk missile production. These deals will generate billions in revenue and ensure steady employment for thousands—including Fazlul Zubair.
Every missile produced, every defense contract signed, every military operation conducted adds zeros to RTX’s bottom line. And by extension, enhances the Iqbal-Zubair family finances.
The Bottom Line
This race epitomizes everything wrong with progressive politics in California. Wealthy activists lecture working families about morality while living lavishly off the very systems they claim to oppose.
Iqbal-Zubair wants California voters to believe she’s a principled anti-war crusader fighting billionaire interests. The reality? She’s married to the military-industrial complex—literally and financially.
Her “no comment” response tells voters everything they need to know. She has no good answer because there is no good answer. You cannot credibly campaign on defunding the Pentagon while your household depends on Pentagon contracts.
This isn’t principled opposition to war. It’s political opportunism wrapped in progressive rhetoric. And California voters should see it for exactly what it is: hypocrisy of the highest order.
