Miami Mayor Francis Suarez was pushed on his donation practices and allegations of illegal contributions on Friday ahead of August's first Republican presidential debate.

Suarez cast aside critics blasting his purported practices of offering $20 gift cards or paying college tuition in return for donations and said his campaign is doing its best to meet the GOP's threshold to qualify for the first debate.

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"The Republican Party set a threshold of 40,000 unique donors," Suarez told News Nation. "I got in the race late, and so there wasn't a lot of time for me to be able to meet that requirement before the Aug. 23 debate."

Candidates such as himself are adopting "unique" practices and "prioritizing small donors," he said.

"I think that's something new, and that is something that is healthy for democracy," Suarez said. "Before, as you know, most fundraising was done behind the scenes, in ballrooms, where sometimes people would be embarrassed when they were recorded for trying to say things to donors that they wouldn't say in public."

"Now, you have to go out there, and you have to get not just 40,000 unique contributions — by the way, on the Democratic side, it's 60,000 — you also have to get 200 from 20 states."

Suarez believes his campaign will meet the requirements to feature at the debate within the next 10 days.

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Along with his race to meet the requirements to appear onstage, Suarez was also asked to discuss allegations that his campaign accepted illegal contributions from a foreign national.

"That has to do with a super PAC that is supporting my candidacy and a contribution that they got," Suarez said. "I have no reason to believe that any of the contributions received by that entity are not by either United States citizens or residents."