James Bond being thrown together with redneck Sheriff JW Pepper comes to mind. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the meeting where the Secret Service was ordered to work "with" the TSA like this.

That the experts at the Secret Service would allow the TSA into their process is sure proof that they don't consider hand-carried weapons at a rally to be a credible threat to a candidate. And unlike the TSA, protecting the populace isn't their main mission, so the crowd is on its own. So, yes indeed, like mimes at subway stations, the TSA appears to perform their version of street theatre whenever a venue presents itself.