I think you may have misinterpreted his motive here. Just before that statement, he says that it is an article/hot take about syntax. He acknowledges your poin

I think you may have misinterpreted his motive here. Just before that statement, he says that it is an article/hot take about syntax. He acknowledges your point. So I think when he says "semantics beat syntax every day of the week", that's him acknowledging that while he prefers certain syntax, it may not be the best for a given situation.