'Watching with a certain amount of disbelief': Former House Republican stunned by GOP's chaos

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) finally expects to be elected as Speaker of the House on Friday evening -- but only after failing to win the vote over 13 tries spread across four different days.

In an interview with Politico's Jonathan Martin, former Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) said he was stunned that it has taken so long for his one-time colleagues to accomplish what should be the most basic task of a new congressional majority.

“People are watching this with a certain amount of disbelief,” Womack told said of the GOP's days-long bout of public infighting. “This is the Congress of the United States of America, man, the greatest country in the world.”

Womack also likened the GOP's rocky start to a botched Kentucky Derby race: "The gate opened and we threw our jockey."

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Currently serving Republicans also expressed anxiety to Martin about where the party is heading after its lengthy leadership fight.

In particular, Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) told Martin that the GOP's turmoil over electing its leader could look downright small compared to upcoming fights.

“If we get through this, it’s just the beginning, not the end," Armstrong said of the leadership battle.