He just lost his family mansion. Now a college student is convinced a 5G tower is out to get him too.
Austin Franco, the Cornell University student who made headlines for saying he would not work for a Jewish person, is back in the spotlight with a new claim. According to a late-night post on X from August 2, the 19-year-old says a 5G box near his new apartment in Ithaca, New York, is sending dangerous radiation straight into his skull.
“My head has been ringing for the past hour and I have a massive headache,” Franco reportedly wrote, adding that the signal level spiked dramatically, going “almost 500x at one point.” He then asked followers if anyone had a spare room, warning he “won’t be staying here much longer.”
This latest outburst comes just days after Franco was reportedly kicked out of his family’s $1. 75 million Virginia home following his controversial statements. He has since launched a GiveSendGo fundraiser, pulling in over $10,000 from supporters.
That figure is on top of roughly $26,000 from a separate campaign created by a far-right YouTuber.
Among the donors is Lee Whitnum, a former Connecticut gubernatorial candidate, who gave $100. Whitnum, who describes herself as an anti-Zionist, claimed she related to Franco because she was once called antisemitic herself. She added, “you have every right to work for whom you want.”
Franco’s parents previously told reporters their son had fallen victim to “extremist online content” and that his beliefs were his own. Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert told The Post the internet can speed up radicalization, making hateful views feel normal. But he also warned against blaming algorithms entirely, noting, “one of the ugliest features of the internet is that almost anything can be monetized, including hate.”
Franco did not respond to requests for comment. What will his next enemy be?
