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In a vacuum with no matter or radiation, presumably the laws of physics still exist, and therefore it will be emptiness forever. As King Lear said, nothing will come of nothing. But if the laws of physics themselves did not exist, then nothing could indeed come from nothing - what’s to stop it?

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I wonder if the first part of the statement is true actually. What if the laws of interaction between space, energy and matter were poured in along with the space, energy and matter itself?

I suppose that amounts to the same thing as what I’m saying.

The laws of physics are true; why do they need to "exist"?

They are internally true; why do ? need to physics laws?

Are the states of the laws of physics being true and them "existing", distinct?

Yes. One is a statement that describes the world, the other is an ontological claim about what "exists" (whatever that means).

What is added by saying the laws of physics "exist"? Note that we already know they are true.

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