(AP) -- 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.