Was Trump horrible for defying presidential norms?

Donald Trump definitely crossed a number of lines that he should not have crossed when he was president. I do not approve of the ethical standards he violated. I have read numerous sources such as the Washington Post tearing Trump apart for the presidential norms that he violated. There's a slight problem with this. Presidential norms are not the same as ethical standards.

I know this is completely unrealistic, but how would I view presidential norms if I could be elected president? Personally, I don't care about that sort of thing. I would be far more interested in doing what I believe is right than doing the same things as my predecessors. Defying the norms established by my predecessors would become a common practice.

I care about ethical standards. I don't care about presidential norms. Although ethics are among the reasons that Trump was criticized for defying the norms, the media's framing was horrible. They focused more on norms than ethical standards. This strongly implies that it is wrong for a president to find his own approach to presidential duties. The wording puts conformity above ethics.

News agencies such as the Washington Post have actively pushed the idea that doing things differently is inherently wrong. This is a regressive and conformist mindset. With all of our problems, we need to find new approaches. We need people who are willing to defy norms that don't work. In many cases, violating norms is a good thing that needs to be encouraged. This is why I never criticized Trump for defying norms. My issues with Trump focused more on his defiance of ethical standards.