Washington (CNN) If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a GIF worth?

For Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a GIF can clearly tell its own story. The Republican, who is an outspoken Trump critic, dismissed a Twitter attack from President Donald Trump on Monday by simply tweeting a GIF of Russian President Vladimir Putin laughing.

"The very unpopular Governor of Ohio (and failed presidential candidate) @JohnKasich hurt Troy Balderson's recent win by tamping down enthusiasm for an otherwise great candidate," Trump wrote Monday. "Even Kasich's Lt. Governor lost Gov. race because of his unpopularity. Credit to Troy on the BIG WIN!"

Trump was referring to Kasich's delayed support of Troy Balderson in Ohio's 12th Congressional District race, which created an awkward tension especially since Balderson was tying himself to Trump.

Read More