The actress sat down for an interview with The Times of London -- published Saturday -- and dove into the United States' politics ... 'cause the British star used to live in L.A. but recently headed back across the pond.

MD starts by saying Cali's a fine place for a liberal like her ... but adds it's insulated -- and, at times she felt she needed to go to a Republican-dominated state to fight for the important issues

That said, Minnie says she won't move to one of those states if DJT wins the election in November ... 'cause it simply wouldn't be a livable environment for her.

From there, Driver goes after Trump ... saying the dude belongs in a cell -- and, lamenting her frustration with the Founding Fathers for not disqualifying a convicted felon from becoming president.

Minnie also touches on the amount of money Trump fundraiser after his landmark conviction last month ... saying it all comes back to his supporters -- who finally have someone to cheer for.

Driver says the "revelation of the 70 million people who really quite like a bit of a racist attitude and non-existent immigration policies and dismantling the environmental agencies. And they were always there; they weren’t created by him."

So, sounds like Driver's not looking to reach across the aisle and buddy up with MAGA Republicans anytime soon.

Of course, Trump's currently awaiting sentencing -- scheduled to take place later this month -- after a jury found him guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. He's blasted the conviction repeatedly, claiming he was railroaded by the Biden administration.