'Today' host Matt Lauer defends interview with GM boss Mary Barra after Twitter criticism

Matt Lauer has responded to criticism for asking General Motors CEO Mary Barra if she can be both a good parent and a good executive by saying he'd have asked a male CEO the same question.

Barra was interviewed on Thursday's "Today" show and replied she believes she can be a good parent and a good CEO.

Lauer took heat from dozens of Twitter contributors who said he wouldn't have questioned a male CEO like that. He insists he would have.

Lauer notes on his Facebook page Barra addressed the difficulty of balancing her work and home lives in a Forbes magazine article. He says if a man in a high-level job had publicly discussed the issue he'd have "asked him exactly the same thing."

Lauer calls work-life balance an important topic and says he's familiar with it personally.