Ummm.. kabes is right. React is an even bigger abstraction on the browser than angular 1 is. Its just that with React the abstractions are mostly opaque - and with Angular the abstractions are not so opaque ( and maybe sometimes leaky! ).
He doesn't have it backwards.
He means they're "opaque" abstractions, in the sense that they're the opposite of a "Leaky Abstraction"[0]. A leaky abstraction is one wherein the abstractions below it "leak" up and you have to keep multiple abstractions in your head at once. This happens more with Angular than React.
I see what you mean by calling it a transparent abstraction though, since React's abstractions get out of your way and let you directly think about the lower level. This doesn't really fit with the Leaky abstraction analogy though, but it's a great point.
[0] https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2002/11/11/the-law-of-leaky-a...