Kasich defends eating pizza with fork and knife

Republican presidential candidate John Kasich is defending his decision to eat pizza with a fork and knife, a move that drew scorn from New Yorkers and social media users.

{mosads}”The pizza came out scalding hot, and so I used a little fork,” Kasich said on “Good Morning America” on Thursday.

ABC News reported that Kasich used a fork and knife to eat his first bite of pizza at Gino’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Queens on Wednesday. He ate the rest of the meal with his hands.

He defended himself on Wednesday, saying: “I was eating pizza before you were born.

After spotted in Queens eating pizza with a fork, @JohnKasich says: “I was eating pizza before you were born” https://t.co/nGUP5jSUaY

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 30, 2016

Kasich said Thursday that his wife was happier with his fork-and-knife approach.

“You know what she said, ‘I’m proud of you, you finally learned how to use a utensil properly,’ ” he joked.

“Look, not only did I eat the pizza, I had the hot sausage. It was fantastic,” he said.

He also defended himself on Fox News on Thursday, saying he was just trying to be “responsible.”

“Listen, I get a piece of pizza, it’s scalding hot, I’m trying to be responsible.” 

.@JohnKasich on the ‘controversy’ over eating pizza with a fork: “I am trying to be responsible.” pic.twitter.com/WML64ENtpO

— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 31, 2016