It would save so much time, staff, and hassle.

It does seem absurd that one has to go through the following to fly to the USA with an onward connection:
- Interview prior to check-in
- Regular security (vetted by TSA)
- Interview prior to boarding
- 10 percent of passengers (at least) get secondary prior to boarding

After all that, then a flight, one has to go through security again. It isn't just "over the top," it's a waste of resources.

The argument was that one has access to checked luggage during customs. But this can be replaced by systems during which a passenger identifies a photo of his or her bag, and it is verified by weight.

They could easily give this a trial run with Air Tahiti Nui. Flights from Paris to Papeete stop in Los Angeles. There is a dedicated security checkpoint for those passengers. What would happen if they just skipped it?